Abstract

Forensic odontology is a lineage that deals in relation to jaws and teeth as an evidence to law and justice. Tooth serves a prime importance in the context of sex identification. This study is an odontometric analysis performed on dental casts with a sample of 952 teeth (476male: 476 female) which were obtained from Dept. of Orthodontics PMNM dental college Bagalkot. Mesiodistal and Buccolingual dimension of each tooth crown was measured with a caliper device and statistical analysis for significance of sexual dimorphism was done with student’s t test. The result showed that sexual dimorphism is significant in relation to mesiodistal diameter of canine (p=0.007 maxilla p=0.003 mandible) and buccolingual diameter of canine (p=0.012 maxilla, p=0.015 mandible) followed by mandibular premolar (p=0.016) but less significant in case of lower lateral incisors (p=0.013). Furthermore, there was statistical significant difference in tooth crown dimension between males and females where the males showed higher mean values. The results of the current investigation are of great value to the anthropologist as well as to the forensic odontologist in understanding dimensional variation in genders.

Key words Odontometry, Tooth dimensions, Forensic