Abstract :
Introduction: Teeth are among the most durable structures in the human body, making them crucial in forensic investigations, especially in gender determination when soft tissue evidence is absent. Odontometric measurements are considered reliable, population-specific tools in identifying sexual dimorphism.Aim & Objective: To evaluate the validity of selected dental metric parameters—inter-canine width, arch length, and hard palate depth—for gender estimation using maxillary casts in an Indian population, and to develop a regression model to assist in forensic identification.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed 100 maxillary dental casts (50 males, 50 females). Measurements of inter-canine width, arch length, and hard palate depth were recorded using digital calipers under standardized protocols. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software to evaluate sexual dimorphism and to construct a multivariate regression model for gender prediction.Results: Significant sexual dimorphism was noted in inter-canine width and hard palate depth, with males showing greater dimensions (p < 0.05). The developed regression model, incorporating all measured parameters, achieved a gender prediction accuracy of 73.2%.Conclusion: Dental metrics, particularly inter-canine width and palate depth, demonstrate significant reliability in gender estimation. This study reinforces the utility of odontometric data in forensic identification and emphasizes the importance of creating population-specific databases.
Keyword :
Dental metric, Gender estimation, Cast analysis.