Age determination in human adults by dental histology

Author(s): Andrea Drusini, Antonina Volpe and Sergio Dovigo

Reviewed work(s):
Source: Zeitschrift für Morphologie und Anthropologie, Bd. 78, H. 2 (Oktober 1990), pp. 169-
174
Published by: E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung
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 z. Morph. Anthrop. 78 169-174 Oktober 1990
Stuttgart,

Dipartimento di Biologia, Universita di Padova, Italia

Age determination in human adults by dental histology

By Andrea Drusini, Antonina Volpe and Sergio Dovigo

With 1 figureand 2 tables in the text

root transparency (RDT) has been measured on 70

Summary: Dentine histological sections of
teeth from 46 individuals of known sex and age. In order to obtain the estimates of individual

chronologicalage,Bang & Ramm (1970) equationshave been applied to thevalues obtainedby

the measurements. ratio hxlOO/H ?
Using the percentage (after Lemendin & Cambray 1981)
were h is the extension of the root transparency zone root
(in mm) and H is the total length (in
some error of the age estimates obtained
mm), regression functions have been elaborated. The
was ? 5 years
following Bang & Ramm quite high in percentage, being comprised between only
in 21.13% of the cases.

Gemessen wurde die Transparenz von 70 Schnitten des Zahn

Zusammenfassung: histologischen
beines der Zahnwurzel (RDT). Diese stammten von 46 Individuen bekannten Alters und Ge
schlechts. Das individuelleAlter wurde entsprechend den Mefiwerten von
gemafi den Formeln
Bang & Ramm von mit Hilfe des
(1970) bestimmt. Aufierdem wurden die Formeln Regressionen
prozentualen Verhaltnisses h/H% (nach Lamendin & Cambray 1981) abgeleitet. Dabei stellt h
dieAusdehnungderWurzeltransparenz(inmm) darundH dieGesamtlangederWurzel (inmm).
Der Fehler der Altersbestimmung nach der Methode von Bang & Ramm er
prozentuale (1970)
wies sichals ziemlichhoch. Sowurde innur 21.13% der Falle dasAltermit einerAbweichung
von hochstens ? 5 Jahren bestimmt.

Introduction

Age determination based on histological teethmodifications was introduced by

Gustafson (1950), and applied afterwardswith some modifications by other authors
(Dechaume et al. 1960,Miles 1963, Johnson 1968,Bang & Ramm 1970, Johanson 1971,
Ito 1972, 1975, Burns & Maples 1976, Haertig & Durigon 1978,Maples 1978,
Maples & Rice 1979,Metzger et al. 1980, Solheim & Sundnes 1980, Lamendin &
Cambray 1981).
Independently of the variables considered, the age estimates obtained by different
authors don't agree among them, and none of these authors has been able to reach the
precision achieved by Gustafson (? 3 years of error in 44% of cases). Nevertheless,
itmust be said thatMaples & Rice (1979) foundmany mistakes in thework ofGustaf
son (1950), in methodology and interpretation the choice of the sample and the
statistical elaboration of data.
Some authors used only one of the six variables proposed byGustafson (attrition,
attachment, dentine, cementum root
periodontal secondary apposition, resorption,

0044-314X/90/0078-0169 $ 1.50
? 1990E. Schweizerbart'sche D-7000 Stuttgart1
Verlagsbuchhandlung,

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 170 Andrea Drusini, Antonina Volpe and Sergio Dovigo

root dentine transparency). In particular,Miles (1963), Johnson (1968), Bang & Ramm
(1970), Lamendin & Cambray (1981), analysed only the root dentine transparency
(RDT). This variable shows the best correlation with age (Miles 1963, Bang & Ramm
1970, Johanson 1971, only Johnson 1968, found a poor correlation); moreover, this
feature seems to be the less influenced by pathology (Nalbandian et al. 1960, Bang
& Ramm 1970, Johanson 1971,Hillson 1986).
In themat dentine, the dentine tubules have a diameter of approximately 3.2 /im
(Williams et al. 1985); the opacity is due to the differencebetween the refractiveindex
of the fundamentalmatter,which has a crystalline structureand the indexof refraction
of the intratubularorganicmatter. The tubules undergo a progressive calcificationwith
age and their diameter is reduced to approximately 1.0 /im.The index of refractionof
the intratubularmatter becomes the same as the fundamentalmatter's one and the den
tine is transparent to transmitted light (Lamendin & Cambray 1981,Williams et al.
1985,Costa 1986). The phenomenon startsfrom the apex of the root and spreads pro
towards the crown.
gressively
Unlike the other teeth's variables, RDT begins after20 years of age when all the
teethhave already erupted. In comparison, the resultsobtained with variables such as
the secondary dentine and the cementum apposition, can be influencedby the fact that
the differentteeth appear at differenttimes.Variables such aswear can be influenced
not only by age but also by differentkinds of diet.
In this research we use the RDT as the only variable to test correlation with
chronological age in adults.

Material and methods

Seventy teeth from the osteological collection of theDepartment of Biology of the

University of Padua were examined: 33 premolars and 37 molars from 46 adults of
known sex and age (26males and 20 females).The teethwere put in ethylmetacrylate
for 12 hours and then in ethylmetacrylate activated by polymerizer for other 3-4
hours. The inclusions obtained were sectioned by a sawmicrotome, mounted on slides
and fixed.According to themajority of authors (Johnson 1968, Bang & Ramm 1970,
Johanson 1971, Ito 1975, Burns & Maples 1976), the sectionswere bucco-lingual and
as central as
possible.
As far as thickness is concerned,Metzger et al. (1980) propose the utilization of
1mm sections, because it ispossible that the 250 ^m sections used by some authors
(Johanson 1971) do not include the upper limit of the transparency zone (Fig. 1),
However, it is difficult to evaluate the transparentzone in such sections by an optical
microscope, so we prefered to use 600 fim sections, just a little thicker than the ones
used by Bang & Ramm (400 /im).
Itwas difficult to obtain good sections from teethwith twisted roots. In the case
of multirooted teeth, the sections have been generallymade from an only root.
Sectionswere examinedwith an optical microscope using a 10x eye-piece and a 0.6 x
objective in order to obtain an enlargement of 6x.
Apart from the extension of the root transparency,h (Fig. 1), total root length,H,
was measured. In fact,we think that thepercentage ratio hx 100/H better describes the
degree of extension of the transparent zone, as suggested by Lamendin & Cambray
(1981).

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 Age determinationin human adultsby dental histology 171

The measurements were made by two differentobservers bymeans of amicrometer

put in the eye-piece.No statistical significancewas noted between observer estimates
at the P = 0.05 level of confidence. Differences between each observer estimate and
known agewere also not significantat the P = 0.05 level.

1. The a too thin bucco

Fig. figure shows how
lingual section may not include all the trans

parent area of the root (T).

Results

We applied the equations of Bang & Ramm (1970) to the values obtained by the
measurements of root dentine transparencyzone (h). As noted by the authors, there
is a tendency to overestimate age inyounger individuals and to underestimate it inolder
ones.
The resultsof age estimates are summarized inTable 1.As indicated, there is a low
percentage (21.13%) of cases with an error less than ? 5 years. In nearly half of the
cases the error is not greater than ?10 years.
Table 2 summarizes the regression formulae elaborated on our sample bymeans of
the ratio hx 100/H separately for the premolars and themolars teeth.For each group
of teeth the correlation coefficient r, the standard error (standard deviation of the
error of the estimate (or average deviation) have been
regression), and the mean
computed.
In all cases the correlation coefficientwas rather low.This isperhaps due to the fact
that itwas not always possible to obtain sections perfectlyperpendicular to the tooth
axis to include the real upper limitof the root transparencyzone. The best correlation
was foundwith premolars with the third degree polynome (r = 0.58).

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 172 Andrea Drusini, Antonina Volpe and Sergio Dovigo

We did not consider sex in this research due to the limited number of individuals
at our disposal and because previous studies demonstrated that neither sex nor race
seem to have significant influence on age estimates (Burns & Maples 1976,Maples
1978).Only Johanson (1971) was able to determine better age estimates in the female
than in themale sample.

Table 1. Percentages of age estimates using the Bang & Ramm's method for sectioned teeth
+
(premolars molars).

Errors of estimation % of cases

(years)

<?5 21.13
? 5 - ? 10 26.76
? 10- ? 15 19.72
? 15- ? 20 16.90
> ? 20 15.49

Table 2. Regression formulae for estimating age (Y) from premolars and molars using percentage
ratiobetweenRDT (h) and the total root length(H). M = male teeth;F = femaleteeth.

PREMOLARS M F Age range Mean age h/H% range

21N.33 19-57
12 33.94 0.00-89.22

Linear regression
Y = 25.8817 + 0.221X
r = 0.49
Mean error = ? 6.20 years
S.E. = ?8.60 years

3? Polynome regression
Y = 23.7329 + 0.1262X + -
0.0089X2 1046xl0~4 X3
r - 0.58
Mean error = ? 5.65
S.E. = ?8.40

MOLARS M F Age range Mean age h/H% range

24N.37 13
19-44 30.78 0.00-49.37

Linear regression
Y = 24.4784 + 0.2528X
r = 0.55
Mean error = ? 4.92 years
S.E. - ?6.10 years

3? Polynome regression
Y = 26.0265 - 0.3461 X + 0.0303 X2 - 3.877 xlO"4 X3
r = 0.57
Mean error = ? 4.76 years
S.E. = ?6.10 years

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 Age determinationin human adultsby dentalhistology 173

Discussion

The estimation of individual chronological age based on the evaluation of root den
tine transparency has some important limitations:

1. The method is destructive;

2. It is possible that the bucco-lingual sections do not comprise the real limit of the
dentine transparentzone, especially in teethwith an unusual morphology;
3. In multi-rooted teeth root sections are difficult tomake, especially in the twisted
ones, because these roots are smaller than the roots of uni-rooted teeth.
For all these reasons, it seems to be better to evaluate the dentine transparencyon
intact teeth by means of diffuse light. In addition, rotating the toothmakes possible
amore detailed analysis of the considered variable (Bang & Ramm 1970,Colonna et
al. 1984).
The percentage of age estimateswe obtained using Bang & Ramm's (1970) method
are quite differentfrom those found by these authors.This ispartly due to the different
origin of the teeth samples, the differentclasses of age considered, and possibly because
of some variables which are difficult to control for such as diet.
In conclusion, and as previously claimed by various authors (Johanson 1971,Metz
ger et al. 1980, Solheim & Sundnes 1980), it is necessary for each researcher to use a
regression formula determined on a sample of known age by dental histology.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Prof. Giancarlo Alciati formaking teeth from individuals of

known age and sex available for this study.

References

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Authors' address:

Andrea Drusini, Dipartimento di Biologia, Universita di Padova, via Trieste, 75,1-35100

Padova, Italia.

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