Age Estimation using Pulp Chamber/Crown Volume Ratio of Permanent Maxillary and Mandibular Second Molars

Age estimation is an essential component in defining multiple elements of the biological profile of unidentified individuals or people with undocumented age. This research examines the relationship between chronological age and the ratio of pulp chamber volume to crown volume in maxillary and mandibular second molars within a Malaysian population (comprising Malays and Chinese).

The study employs volumetric analysis using CBCT scans, enhanced with Mimics software, to evaluate this association. A total of 316 CBCT scans from 154 Malays and 162 Chinese, aged 18 to 65 years, were categorized into four distinct age groups for analysis.

In this study, Pearson correlation analysis showed that the mandibular second molar (LM2) (-0.746) exhibited a slightly greater coefficient of correlation (R) compared to the maxillary second molar (UM2) (-0.739). The Fisher Z test demonstrated that dental age estimation is sex-independent. The study’s newly derived regression equation was validated on a separate set of 68 permanent second molars. The findings revealed Mean Absolute Error (MAE) results of 5.3 and 7.5 years for maxillary and mandibular second molars, respectively.

The PC/CVR model showed a significant inverse correlation with age and higher accuracy in individuals under 50 years; however, performance decreased in older age groups (50+).

This study found that a volumetric change in the pulp chamber with age is a valid method for estimating dental age in the Malaysian population.