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. 2024 Jul;40(3):436-444.
doi: 10.1007/s11282-024-00750-w. Epub 2024 Apr 8.

Age estimation by volumetric analysis of teeth using cone beam computed tomography

Ana Beatriz Raposo Souza  1 , Adriana Dibo Cruz  2 , Marcelo Freitas Aguiar  3
Affiliations

Age estimation by volumetric analysis of teeth using cone beam computed tomography

Ana Beatriz Raposo Souza et al. Oral Radiol. 2024 Jul.

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of using the pulp volume (Pv) to total volume (Tv) ratio (Pv:Tv), obtained from cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of single-rooted teeth, for age estimation in a Brazilian population sample.

Methods: After obtaining approval from the ethics committee, the study commenced by applying inclusion criteria to screen CBCT scans, resulting in a probability-based sample of participants aged 18 years and older (ranging from 18 to 82 years, with a mean age of 46.44 years). A total of 517 single-rooted teeth, including maxillary central incisors (CI), mandibular canines (C), and mandibular first premolars (FP), were chosen based on excellent agreement values (> 0.9). Pv and Tv measurements were conducted using semi-automatic segmentation with ITK-SNAP 3.8 software. Statistical analysis was performed using Jamovi software, with a significance level set at 5% (α = 0.05).

Results: A strong negative correlation (r > -0.7) was observed between chronological age and the Pv:Tv ratio across all examined teeth. However, when conducting regression analysis with Pv:Tv data and chronological age as the independent variable, only the mandibular FP teeth exhibited a normal distribution. The resulting linear model demonstrated moderate predictive value (approximately 64%) in explaining the variance in chronological age, but caution should be exercised when interpreting these findings.

Conclusions: The method of measuring individual tooth volume using CBCT to estimate chronological age via Pv:Tv has been demonstrated as effective and reproducible within the Brazilian population sample.

Keywords: Aging; Computer-assisted image processing; Cone-beam computed tomography; Diagnostic imaging; Forensic dentistry; Tooth.

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