Comparative assessment of maxillary canine index and maxillary first molar dimensions for sex determination in forensic odontology

BACKGROUND: Sexual identification of immature skeletal remains is still a difficult problem to solve in forensic anthropology. In such situations, the odontometric features of the teeth can be of immense help. Teeth, being the hardest and chemically the most stable tissue in the body, are an excellent material in living and nonliving populations for anthropological, genetic, odontologic, and forensic investigations. Using tooth size standards, whenever it is possible to predict the sex, identification is made easier because then only missing persons of one sex need to be considered. AIM: To determine sex from the odontometric data using maxillary canine index and maxillary first molar dimensions and to determine which index gives higher accuracy rate for sex determination using only maxillary cast. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a sample size of 200 population (100 male and 100 female), alginate impression was taken of maxillary arch and poured with dental stone. Using Vernier caliper, the dimension of maxillary first molar (buccolingual [BL] and mesiodistal [MD]), canine (MD), and intercanine distance was measured on the cast. The obtained data were analyzed using discriminant statistical analysis. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: This study concludes that BL dimension of maxillary first molar is a more reliable indicator for gender determination than other molar and canine dimensions in maxilla.