Physiological Changes in Teeth as a Tool to Estimate Age

With increasing age there are many changes in teeth such as attrition, peridontal disease, deposition of secondary dentine, root translucency, cementum apposition, root resorption, color changes, and increase in root roughness. By taking into consideration these secondary changes in teeth with advancing age, various studies were done to estimate the age of an individual. Such research has resulted in multifactorial methods that help in age estimation. A score was calculated noting the various physiological changes in the teeth and a graph was plotted with actual age on one axis and the score calculated on the other. Regression formulae were derived from the obtained graph. Previous regression formulae were used to calculate the age using total score recorded from the physiological factors of teeth. Formula A (newly derived formula) derived from the regression curve obtained by plotting total score against actual age was y = 4.7 x + 9.66 where y is calculated age and x is total score. Correlation of the morphological changes occurring in teeth with other factors like age and sex were also studied. (