Testing the Olze and Timme Methods for Dental Age Estimation in Radiographs of Brazilian Subadults and Adults

Aim

This study aimed to test the applicability of the methods proposed by Olze et al. (2012) and Timme et al. for dental age estimation in Brazilian subadults and adults.

Material and methods

Panoramic radiographs of 503 individuals aged between 20 and 70 years were analyzed. The mean chronological age of males and females of the sample was 29.04 and 29.97 years, receptively. Secondary dentin formation, cementum apposition, periodontal recession, and attrition of teeth #34, #35, #44 and #45 teeth were assessed as parameters to be calculated in the formulae designed by Olze et al. and Timme et al.

Results

In males, the mean estimated age by the Olze method was 28.97 ± 2.86 years, while in females it was 27.85 ± 2.70 years. The Timme method estimated mean age for males of 32.54 ± 5.32 years and for females 33.09 ± 5.16 years. Low coefficients of determination (r²) for the application of tooth-specific formulae of both methods suggest that estimated and chronological ages were not properly associated.

Conclusion

The outcomes of this study indicate that the Olze and Timme methods may be limited for forensic applications in Brazilian subadults and adults. Country-specific statistical adjustments might be useful for improvements in practice.

Brazilian's dental anthropometry: Human identification

Background:

Human stature and sex determination are significant data that can and should be used in criminal profiling in the human identification processes. Teeth are widely used in investigations because of their properties of resistance and uniqueness.

Aims:

The present study aimed to verify, by means of dental anthropometry, the correlation of these with the stature and sex.

Materials and Methods:

Measurements of linear (mid distal and incisor cervical) dental measurements were performed on the upper right teeth of Brazilians, aged between 18 and 30 years, being 100 male and 100 female participants. Linear dental measurements were measured with a digital caliper and stature was measured with a stadiometer. For the statistical analysis, the IBM^® SPSS^® 25 Statistics program was used. Kolmogorov–Smirnov, Pearson correlation, and Stepwise-Forward (Wald) logistic regression analyses were applied to sex determination and stature estimation.

Results:

The results indicated that all measures performed are dimorphic, but that lateral incisor and canine tooth measurements are statistically significant with a P ≤ 0.001. The obtained model allows for sexing with 70.5% accuracy, being able to be used in anthropological studies in Brazilians.

Conclusion:

It can be concluded that dental measurements are useful tools to identify gender and the canine measurements also showed a strong and proportional correlation with stature, but it was not possible to establish a mathematical model for this.

Comparison of gunshot entrance morphologies caused by .40-caliber Smith & Wesson, .380-caliber, and 9-mm Luger bullets: a finite element analysis study

Firearms can cause fatal wounds, which can be identified by traces on or around the body. However, there are cases where neither the bullet nor gun is found at the crime scene. Ballistic research involving finite element models can reproduce computational biomechanical conditions, without compromising bioethics, as they involve no direct tests on animals or humans. This study aims to compare the morphologies of gunshot entrance holes caused by.40-caliber Smith & Wesson (S&W), .380-caliber, and 9×19-mm Luger bullets. A fully metal-jacketed.40 S&W projectile, a fully metal-jacketed.380 projectile, and a fully metal-jacketed 9×19-mm Luger projectile were computationally fired at the glabellar region of the finite element model from a distance of 10 cm, at perpendicular incidence. The results show different morphologies in the entrance holes produced by the three bullets, using the same skull at the same shot distance. The results and traits of the entrance holes are discussed. Finite element models allow feasible computational ballistic research, which may be useful to forensic experts when comparing and analyzing data related to gunshot wounds in the forehead.

Mineral trioxide aggregate repair of lateral root perforations

This study was conducted to observe the healing process of intentional lateral root perforation repaired with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). Forty-eight root canals of dogs' teeth were instrumented and filled. After partial removal of the filling, an intentional perforation was made with a bur in the lateral area of the root. The perforations were repaired with MTA or Sealapex (control group). Histological analysis occurred 30 and 180 days after treatment. Results showed no inflammation and deposition of cementum over MTA in the majority of the specimens. In the 180-day period, Sealapex exhibited chronic inflammation in all the specimens and slight deposition of cementum over the material in only three cases. In conclusion, MTA exhibited better results than the control group.

Effect of dentine surface treatment on leakage of root fillings with a glass ionomer sealer

The purpose of this study was to observe the quality of seal of the glass ionomer cement, Ketac-Endo, after treatment of the root canal wall. The root canals of 140 extracted human teeth were prepared biomechanically. The root canals were treated with either EDTA or received an intracanal dressing of calcium hydroxide or camphorated paramonochlorphenol. The root canals were filled by the lateral condensation technique with gutta-percha points and the sealer Ketac-Endo, or zinc oxide-eugenol cement or Sealapex. The teeth were placed into a 2% methylene blue dye solution inside a flask, which was attached to a vacuum pump. Leakage was measured linearly. Sealapex exhibited significantly less leakage than Ketac-Endo or zinc oxide-eugenol cement (P<0.01). The use of EDTA and intermediary dressings reduced significantly (P<0.01) the leakage observed with the zinc oxide-eugenol sealer and Ketac-Endo.