Dental Age Estimation in Adults: A Review of the Commonly Used Radiological Methods

Abstract

Age determination in adults remains a challenge in Forensic Science. Teeth undergo age-related morphological and biochemical changes. Morphological changes include attrition, secondary dentin deposition, gingival recession, cementum apposition, root resorption, dentin translucency, and color. The most frequently considered parameters have been dentin translucency and secondary dentin deposition. Numerous mathematical models have been developed to calculate dental age from these morphological changes. The technology to determine age-related biochemical changes is much more complex, with aspartic acid racemization being the most widely adopted approach. Forensic odontologists need in-depth knowledge of the technical aspects and errors of age estimation methods. A wider range of techniques is available for dead than for living subjects. This chapter addresses these key issues in the forensic age estimation of adults.