Dental morphometric analysis through orthopantomogram (OPG): potential in determining sex and age in the Indonesian population

Background: In many forensic cases, bodies are often found in fragments, charred, or decomposed. Teeth serve as strong evidence in such cases because they are structurally sound and resistant to a variety of conditions and post-mortem changes. Moreover, with a total of 32 teeth, there are usually several that can be analyzed. Results A total of 230 digital orthopantomogram images from individuals aged 15 to 35 years were selected for analysis. Dental morphometric measurements, including total tooth length (TTL), root length (RL), crown length (CL), and pulp-tooth ratio (PTR), were obtained using the open-source software Image J. The Pearson correlation test revealed significant correlations between the TTL, RL, and CL variables and sex, but not with age. Additionally, there was a strong negative correlation between the PTR variable and age, but no correlation with sex. Various regression models have been developed to estimate the age and sex of the Indonesian population. Among these models, the regression analysis combining the upper central incisor, upper canine, and lower canine variables provided the highest accuracy for sex estimation (r = 0.681, r² = 0.464). Incorporating multiple teeth in the analysis significantly enhances the accuracy of sex estimation. Furthermore, an age estimation regression model based on PTR was developed. When the regression model is used according to sex, the accuracy will increase, with women being slightly more accurate than men (r=0.692) (r ² =0.479). Conclusion: In conclusion, dental morphometrics demonstrates significant potential for estimating age and sex in the Indonesian population. The TTL, RL, and CL variables exhibit notable differences between sexes, while the PTR variable has proven effective for age estimation.