Demystifying the Mysteries: Sexual Dimorphism in Primary Teeth

Abstract

Introduction: One of the critical steps in the process of identification is the sex determination of an unknown individual. Many studies have shown that sex can be determined using the human skeleton, especially by examining the pelvis and skull. Odontometric analysis of the human sexual variation has been less investigated, especially of primary dentition. Aim: To verify the presence of sexual dimorphism in primary teeth of local population of Faridabad, Haryana, India. Materials and Methods: The research was performed on dental casts of 500 children (250 boys and 250 girls, age range 3-5 years). Mesiodistal and buccolingual crown dimensions of maxillary and mandibular primary teeth were measured with a digital Vernier's caliper and were analysed for sexual dimorphism. Mann-Whitney-U test was used to check the statistical significance of difference in tooth dimensions among boys and girls. Results: Differences were found in the mean values of mesiodistal and buccolingual diameters of primary teeth, in which boys generally had larger crown diameters than girls. Conclusion: Primary teeth may be used as an additional tool for sex identification of juvenile skeletons where other dimorphic features are not much developed.

Keywords

• forensic dentistry
• odontometric analysis
• sex determination