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Quantifying the potential of morphological parameters for human dental identification: part 2—selecting the strongest identifiers in mandibular permanent teeth

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Abstract

The current study aimed to select the best dental morphological identifiers for human identification. Sixty-two panoramic radiographs were collected retrospectively, in which six measurements were performed on all seven mandibular left permanent teeth: tooth length (TL), crown length (CL), root length (RL), crown width (CW), cervical width (CEJW), and root width (RW). Nine length–width ratios were then calculated using these measurements. Three groups of statistics were considered: (1) inter-observer reliability quantified by intra-class correlation (ICC); (2) mean “potential set”; and (3) Spearman correlation. A step-by-step cascade was then established based on selected parameters. In a univariate approach, the following parameters were the best identifiers: TL/CW for tooth 36 (ICC 0.82; mean potential set 13.7%), TL/CEJW for tooth 35 (ICC 0.87; mean potential set 15.2%), and TL/RW for tooth 32 (ICC 0.89; mean potential set 16.0%). The correlations between these three parameters ranged from 0.24 to 0.47. In a multivariate approach, the following parameters had the best identifying capacity: all parameters combined for tooth 31 (mean potential set 8.1%), for tooth 35 (mean potential set 11.9%), and for tooth 32 (mean potential set 16.3%). In conclusion, a single ratio in a specific tooth narrows down the potential set of matches, but the mean potential set remains relatively large. Combining all ratios of a single specific tooth increases the certainty of the match. In particular, tooth 31 was the strongest identifier.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Imaging and Pathology – Forensic Odontology, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7 blok A bus 7001, 3000, Louvain, Belgium

    Yea Lee Shu, Chen Jun & Patrick W. Thevissen

  2. Diagnostic Sciences – Radiology, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Jannick De Tobel

  3. I-Biostat, Kapucijnenvoer 35- blok D, 3000, Louvain, Belgium

    Steffen Fieuws

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  1. Yea Lee Shu
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  2. Jannick De Tobel
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  3. Chen Jun
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  4. Steffen Fieuws
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  5. Patrick W. Thevissen
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Correspondence to Yea Lee Shu.

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Approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium (December 9, 2019). This work was presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences on 18 February 2021, USA (Abstract G11).

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Shu, Y.L., De Tobel, J., Jun, C. et al. Quantifying the potential of morphological parameters for human dental identification: part 2—selecting the strongest identifiers in mandibular permanent teeth. Int J Legal Med 136, 1821–1828 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-022-02851-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-022-02851-9

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