In adult dental age estimation, segmentation of dental volumetric information from different tooth parts using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has proven beneficial in improving the regression model reliability. This segmentation method can be expanded in the crown part since the volumetric information in the crown is affected by attrition in the enamel and secondary dentine in the dentine and pulp chamber. CBCT scans from 99 patients aged between 20 and 60 were collected retrospectively. A total of 80 eligible teeth for each tooth type were used in this study. The enamel to dentine volume ratio (EDVR), pulp to dentine volume ratio (PDVR) and sex were used as independent variables to predict chronological age (CA). The EDVR was not affected by PDVR. The highest R² was calculated from the maxillary canine (R² = 0.6). The current approach in crown segmentation has proven to improve model performance in anterior maxillary teeth.

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) enables the assessment of regressive morphological changes in teeth, which can be used to predict chronological age (CA) in adults. As each tooth region is known to have different correlations with CA, this study aimed to segment and quantify the sectional volumes of the tooth crown and root from CBCT scans to test their correlations with the chronological age (CA). Seventy-five CBCT scans from individuals with age between 20 and 60 years were collected retrospectively from an existing database. A total of 192 intact maxillary anterior teeth fulfilled the eligibility criteria. The upper tooth volume ratio (UTVR), lower tooth volume ratio (LTVR), and sex were used as predictor variables. The UTVR and LTVR parameters were both found to be differently correlated to CA and independent from each other. Regression models were derived from each tooth, with the highest R-2 being the maxillary lateral incisor (R-2 = 0.67). Additional single predictor models using each ratio were capable of reliably predicting the CA. The segmentation approach in volumetric adult dental age estimation proved to be beneficial in enhancing the reliability of the regression model.

Aflah KA, et al. Imaging Sci Dent. 2022 Jul;52:e36. https://doi.org/10.5624/isd.20220067

Nawawi AP, et al. Imaging Sci Dent. 2022 Jan;52:e5. https://doi.org/10.5624/isd.20210244

: Refusal of autopsy occurs for various reasons, including religious beliefs and the risk of infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019. Dental autopsy involves invasive procedures, including incision and access openings in the oral cavity. Radiographic techniques can be used as an alternative to the conventional autopsy process in the field of forensic odontology, providing a non-invasive approach that does not involve tissue damage. The current study aimed to analyse the current status of the applicability of oral and maxillofacial radiology for virtual forensic odontological autopsy. A systematic review was conducted in accord with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis protocol. The literature search was conducted from December 2021 to October 2022 using the PubMed, ScienceDirect, and SAGE Journals databases. Article selection was carried out by eliminating duplication, screening titles and abstracts, and reading the entire content of the article. A thematic analysis method was used to identify themes in the collected data. A total of 15 articles were included, and several uses of oral and maxillofacial radiography in virtual autopsy and forensic odontology were identified. Four techniques were identified that can be used for virtual autopsy in forensic odontology. The use of computed tomography (CT) scanning for virtual autopsy was reported in six articles, cone beam CT was reported in five articles, magnetic resonance imaging was reported in two articles, and multidetector CT was reported in two articles. In the studies included in this review, the identified oral and maxillofacial radiograph techniques that are used as the fundamental methods of virtual autopsy in forensic odontology are CT scanning (including multidetector CT), cone beam CT, and magnetic resonance imaging. The different methods of oral and maxillofacial radiography for virtual autopsy were identified as having advantages as well as limitations in their use in forensic odontology. Most of the included studies indicated that the virtual autopsy approach cannot yet stand alone as an identification method, but provides a useful adjunct for gathering dental evidence. Key points:

Introduction: Ameloglyphics is the study of enamel print patterns on the tooth surface. Enamel print patterns are unique to each individual as they differ on each tooth. The similarity of tooth prints on buccal and lingual surfaces remains questionable as no research has been conducted thus far. The premolar was chosen in this experiment due to its low risk of damage because it is protected by cheek and rarely used compared to other teeth. Thus, the results obtained will be more precise and have higher accuracy than using other teeth. This research was aimed to investigate the differences between enamel print patterns on buccal and lingual surfaces of maxillary right first premolar. Methods: An analytic study was conducted by observing and analysing a total of 34 teeth samples using the purposive sampling method. The middle third of the buccal and lingual tooth surfaces was captured directly after magnified with a stereomicroscope. Photomicrographs of samples were then analysed using SourceAFIS biometric software. This software will process the image and shows patterns of enamel print. Afterwards, the enamel print patterns were observed and classified according to Manjunath Classification. Results: The results suggested that all 34 samples show a similarity of enamel print patterns on both the buccal and lingual surfaces. The interpretations of photomicrographs were statistically analysed using the Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) software. The similarity may be due to the same placement of developing tooth bud, temperature, environmental factor, genetics, pressure and nutrition to the ameloblasts cells in a tooth. Conclusion: Both buccal and lingual in the samples show high similarity due to the very high frequencies of similar sub-patterns occur on both surfaces. Tooth print can be used as a valuable tool in forensic science for personal identification with good prospects in the field of forensic dentistry.