Age determination by measurement of pulp volume of canine teeth in patients with cleft lip and palate: a retrospective study.

Objectives: This study evaluates the potential of pulp volume/total tooth-volume measurements of canine teeth in relation to chronologic age in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP). The significance of this study lies in its exploration of the usability of these measurements for age determination in CLP patients, providing a novel perspective to the existing literature.

Methods: Cone beam computed tomography images of 33 patients (16 females, 17 males) with unilateral CLP aged 14-45 years and 33 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals (16 females, 17 males) were retrospectively evaluated. Using ITK-SNAP software, pulp and whole tooth volumes of canine teeth on the non-defect side of CLP patients and the corresponding side of healthy individuals were measured. Their relationship with chronologic age was evaluated, and comparisons were made between the CLP and control groups.

Results: No statistically significant difference was observed between the whole tooth volume, pulp volume, and pulp volume/total tooth-volume ratios of the control and CLP groups. A paired t test comparing chronologic age and calculated mean age of both groups found no significant difference.

Conclusions: The results show that the pulp and total tooth-volume ratios of canine teeth in the non-defect areas of individuals with unilateral CLP correlate with chronologic age and can be used reliably for age determination. This indicates that individuals with CLP can be evaluated similarly to healthy individuals, allowing accurate age estimation based on dental measurements.