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Evaluation of the maximum length of deciduous teeth for estimation of the age of infants and young children: proposal of new regression formulas

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Abstract

The methodology used to identify individuals in forensic anthropology requires a minimum degree of precision and accuracy and should be based on identified and representative samples. Achievement of these objectives in infant skeletons is hampered by the scarcity of appropriate samples. The dental age estimation methods of Liversidge et al. (Am J Phys Anthropol 90: 307–313, 1993) and Deutsch et al. (Growth 49: 207–17, 1985) were applied to the Granada osteological collection of identified infants (Granada, Spain) in order to evaluate its applicability in a Mediterranean population. Significant differences were found between the estimated and real ages in both cases. Based on the measurements obtained in 140 fetuses and infants, new regression formulas were developed to estimate age from the metric study on deciduous teeth. Independent functions are provided for each deciduous maxillary and mandibular tooth in each sex, along with the margin of error (95 % confidence interval). These formulas appear to offer one of the best methods available for estimating the age of Mediterranean infants in forensic anthropology settings.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to D. Jose Antonio Muñoz, Managing Director; Maribel Martín, coordinator of services; and all EMUCESA staff at the San Jose cemetery in Granada for their invaluable assistance; to the Magistrate Judge (Court of First Instance no. 5), responsible for the Registry Office of Granada; to Armando González Martín for his collaboration; and to two anonymous reviewers for their insights and suggestions. This work has been supported by the European Commission under project MEPROCS (ref. FP7-SEC-2011-1, GA Number 285624), by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad under project SOCOVIFI2 (ref. TIN2012-38525-C02-01/TIN2012-38525-C02-02), and by the Andalusian Dpt. of Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa (ref. P11-TIC-7745), including funding from the European Development Regional Funds.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Anthropology, Department of Legal Medicine, Toxicology and Physical Anthropology, University of Granada, Granada, 18012, Spain

    Javier Irurita Olivares, Inmaculada Alemán Aguilera & Miguel Cecilio Botella López

  2. University Museum, State University “G. d’Annunzio” Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy

    Joan Viciano Badal

  3. Calle Gran Canaria 19, 2º1ª, 08205, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain

    Stefano De Luca

Authors
  1. Javier Irurita Olivares
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  2. Inmaculada Alemán Aguilera
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  3. Joan Viciano Badal
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  4. Stefano De Luca
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  5. Miguel Cecilio Botella López
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Correspondence to Javier Irurita Olivares.

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Irurita Olivares, J., Alemán Aguilera, I., Viciano Badal, J. et al. Evaluation of the maximum length of deciduous teeth for estimation of the age of infants and young children: proposal of new regression formulas. Int J Legal Med 128, 345–352 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-013-0903-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-013-0903-y

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