Analysis of Gender Dimorphism and Assessment of Racial Variation Through Odontometric Technique: A Cross-Sectional Study

Namdeo Prabhu; Rakhi Issrani; Krishna Rao; Ahmed Saleh Albalawi; Bader Mahali Alharbi; Abdulelah Waheed Noman Alanazi; Mohammad Khursheed Alam

doi:10.7759/cureus.51446

Analysis of Gender Dimorphism and Assessment of Racial Variation Through Odontometric Technique: A Cross-Sectional Study

Cureus. 2024 Jan 1;16(1):e51446. doi: 10.7759/cureus.51446. eCollection 2024 Jan.

Authors

Namdeo Prabhu¹, Rakhi Issrani², Krishna Rao³, Ahmed Saleh Albalawi⁴, Bader Mahali Alharbi⁴, Abdulelah Waheed Noman Alanazi⁴, Mohammad Khursheed Alam⁵

Affiliations

¹ Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, SAU.
² Preventive/Oral Medicine & Radiology, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, SAU.
³ Preventive Dental Science, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, SAU.
⁴ Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, SAU.
⁵ Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, SAU.

Abstract

Background: When conducting a forensic investigation, one of the most important steps is establishing the biological profile of a victim who cannot be positively recognized or is just a skeleton. It has been shown that, among the other clinical indicators, the diameters of dental crowns are a good and dependable source for determining gender in a particular population sample. However, the literature is sparse regarding their assessment as a viable marker for the determination of a particular race. In addition, the need for population-specific data has also been advocated while determining gender dimorphism based on tooth size.

Aim and objectives: To study the bisexual variation in the permanent dentition of individuals from three different sets of populations: Arabian, South Asian, and East Asian. The other objective is to explore the role of this odontometric analysis in predicting the racial identity of the subjects belonging to the aforementioned population.

Methodology: The research was conducted at the College of Dentistry, AlJouf University in Sakaka. Measurements of mesiodistal and buccolingual (BL) distances were taken using a digital vernier caliper on a total of 75 pairs of research models or casts. Statistical tests were run on the information gathered.

Results: Of the 75 casts, 38 (50.7%) were of male and 37 (49.3%) were of female. Our analysis showed between genders, a significant difference in maxillary central incisor (P = 0.001), first premolar (P = 0.01), and first molar (P = 0.02) while for a mandibular arch, a significant difference was noted for incisors (P = 0.002) with greater tooth dimension in male than in the female. Concerning the BL dimensions, only the mandibular canine showed a significant difference between males and females (P = 0.001). Comparisons of the crown dimensions between population groups showed that the Arabian population consistently exhibits larger tooth dimensions than the other two populations in both arches.

Conclusion: A few crown dimensions can be used as an adjunctive tool for the identification of the gender and race of an individual.

Keywords: dentistry; dentition; ethnic groups; odontometric; tooth crown.

Grants and funding

The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at Jouf University for funding this work through research grant no. (DSR-2021-01-0210).