Koh K K, Tan J S, Nambiar P, Ibrahim Norliza, Mutalik Sunil, Khan Asif Muhammad
Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
J Forensic Leg Med. 2017 May;48:15-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jflm.2017.03.004. Epub 2017 Apr 1.
Forensic odontology plays a vital role in the identification and age estimation of unknown deceased individuals. The purpose of this study is to estimate the chronological age from Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) images by measuring the buccal alveolar bone level (ABL) to the cemento-enamel junction and to investigate the possibility of employing the age-related structural changes of teeth as studied by Gustafson. In addition, this study will determine the forensic reliability of employing CBCT images as a technique for dental age estimation. A total of 284 CBCT images of Malays and Chinese patients (150 females and 134 males), aged from 20 years and above were selected, measured and stages of age-related changes were recorded using the i-CAT Vision software. Lower first premolars of both left and right side of the jaw were chosen and the characteristics described by Gustafson, namely attrition, secondary dentine formation and periodontal recession were evaluated. Linear regression analysis was performed for the buccal bone level and the R values obtained were 0.85 and 0.82 for left and right side respectively. Gustafson's characteristics were analysed using multiple regression analysis with chronological age as the dependent variable. The results of the analysis showed R values ranged from 0.44 to 0.62. Therefore it can be safely concluded that the buccal bone level highly correlated with the chronological age and is consequently the most suitable age-related characteristic for forensic age estimation.
法医牙科学在不明身份死者的身份鉴定和年龄估计中起着至关重要的作用。本研究的目的是通过测量颊侧牙槽骨水平（ABL）至牙骨质-釉质界来从锥形束计算机断层扫描（CBCT）图像估计实际年龄，并研究采用古斯塔夫森所研究的牙齿与年龄相关的结构变化的可能性。此外，本研究将确定使用CBCT图像作为牙齿年龄估计技术的法医可靠性。总共选择了284例年龄在20岁及以上的马来族和华裔患者的CBCT图像（150名女性和134名男性），使用i-CAT Vision软件进行测量并记录与年龄相关的变化阶段。选择下颌左右两侧的第一前磨牙，并评估古斯塔夫森所描述的特征，即磨耗、继发性牙本质形成和牙周退缩。对颊侧骨水平进行线性回归分析，左右两侧获得的R值分别为0.85和0.82。以实际年龄为因变量，使用多元回归分析对古斯塔夫森的特征进行分析。分析结果显示R值范围为0.44至0.62。因此，可以有把握地得出结论，颊侧骨水平与实际年龄高度相关，因此是法医年龄估计中最合适的与年龄相关的特征。
