Linear regression formula to predict chronological age through digital orthopantomographs and canine pulp/tooth area ratio in Vidarbha population

Context: Age is one of the essential factors of forensic odontology and is essential in establishing the identity of an individual. Estimation of the human age is a procedure adopted by anthropologists, archaeologists, and forensic scientists. Aim: The aim of this study was to develop a method for estimating the chronological age in Vidarbha population based on the relationship between age and various morphological variables of left mandibular canine tooth as obtained using digital orthopantomographs (OPGs). Subjects and Methods: Digital OPG of 200 patients was selected, and radiographic images of the left mandibular canine in each case were processed using a computer-aided designing program AutoCAD-2008. Regression equations were developed to estimate age from morphological variables. Results: Kappa statistics showed that the intraexaminer agreement score (κ = 0.91) was without a significant error in terms of reproducibility. Pearson's correlation coefficients between observed age and predictive morphological variables in males, females, and in the total sample population were highly significant and inversely correlated for AR (pulp/tooth area ratio) and c (pulp/root width ratio at midroot level) (P < 0.001). The participants' ages were modeled as a linear function of the morphological variables (predictors). Conclusions: There was observed a linear relationship of pulp/root width ratio at the midroot level and pulp/tooth area ratio of the left mandibular canine with chronological age in the Vidarbha population. Age of participants could, therefore, be estimated with a good degree of accuracy using regression equations.