Dental morphometric analysis through orthopantomogram (OPG): potential in determining sex and age in the Indonesian population

Abstract

Abstract Background In forensic cases, bodies are often found fragmented, charred, or decomposed. Teeth serve as strong evidence because of their durable structure and resistance to various postmortem conditions. With a total of 32 teeth, several can usually be analyzed. This study aims to analyze the potential of dental morphometric variables—including total tooth length (TTL), root length (RL), crown length (CL), and pulp-tooth ratio (PTR)—for estimating age and sex in the Indonesian population. A total of 230 digital orthopantomogram images from individuals aged 15 to 35 years were analyzed using the open-source software ImageJ. Results Pearson correlation tests revealed significant correlations between TTL, RL, and CL variables and sex, but no significant correlation with age. Conversely, PTR showed a strong negative correlation with age but no correlation with sex. Various regression models were developed for age and sex estimation. Among these, the regression model combining measurements from the upper central incisor, upper canine, and lower canine yielded the highest accuracy for sex estimation ( r = 0.681, r 2 = 0.464). Including multiple teeth in the analysis significantly improved sex estimation accuracy. Additionally, an age estimation regression model based on PTR was developed. When this model was applied according to sex, accuracy increased, with slightly higher accuracy observed in females than males ( r = 0.692, r 2 = 0.479). Conclusion Dental morphometrics shows significant potential for estimating age and sex in the Indonesian population. TTL, RL, and CL variables exhibit notable differences between sexes, while PTR is effective for age estimation. Combining multiple teeth measurements and tailoring regression models by sex further enhance the accuracy of forensic identification.

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