Determination of sex from tooth pulp tissue

OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out to determine the reliability of sex determination from teeth pulp tissue. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was carried on 60 maxillary and mandibular premolars and permanent molars (30 male teeth and 30 female teeth) which were indicated for extraction. The teeth were categorized into three groups of 20 each (10 from males and 10 from females).Group 1-pulp tissue from teeth examined immediately after extraction. Group 2- and Group 3-pulp tissue examined from teeth one and five month after extraction, respectively. Teeth was sectioned and pulpal cells were stained with quinacrine dihydrochloride. The cells were observed with fluorescent microscope for fluorescent body. Gender was determined by identification of Y chromosome fluorescence in dental pulp. RESULTS: Freshly extracted teeth and for those examined one month later, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and efficiency were all 100%. CONCLUSION: The fluorescent Y body test is shown to be a reliable, simple, and cost-effective technique for gender identification in the immediate postmortem period up to one month.