Work

MicroCT-based dental age estimation: Method comparison of the London Atlas and regression equations for deciduous and permanent teeth applied on central European infants of the 19th century

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Background Tooth mineralisation and alveolar eruption show a strong temporal correlation with chronological age of sub-adults and thus represent a valuable asset for age estimation in archaeology and forensic science. Among the most prominent age estimation methods are the classification of developmental stages of tooth development by means of Atlases and the measurement of odontometric parameters such as tooth length, which allows deducing chronological age of individuals using regression equations (RegEq). Despite the vast number of dental age estimation methods published, evidence-based comparison of the degree of accuracy of these competing methods is lacking. This study aimed (1) to evaluate if µCT scans are a reliable alternative to conventional techniques for tooth length measurements, and (2) to compare accuracy and reliability of the London Atlas of tooth development and eruption (LA) with six well-established regression methods(RegEq) for age estimation of subadults.Material & Methods Forty-two skulls of a Central-European osteological collection of the early 19th century (known age at death 7mo in utero–11yrs) were scanned with microCT to estimate dental age via LA-classification and RegEq based on deciduous and permanent tooth length measurements.Results µCT scans proved to be a technically feasible and reliable non-destructive method to measure tooth length. RegEq of Liversidge_et_al.(1993) and Cardoso_et_al.(2019) based on the deciduous dentition and LA yielded the most accurate age estimates (prediction errors: 0.20 to 0.30 years). RegEq for permanent teeth were less accurate; however, performance was improved when their application was restricted to individuals <3 years of age. Most accurate age estimates for single teeth were achieved for deciduous incisors, canines and first molars.Conclusions While regression equations for deciduous teeth represent a reliable age estimation method for younger individuals, the London Atlas outperforms the RegEq for permanent teeth and thus can be considered a preferred alternative to estimate age in older individuals (>3 years) with an adequate state of conservation. A higher weighting of the first mineralising deciduous teeth can contribute to further improve the accuracy of the London Atlas.

Source: Journal of Archaeological Science Reports

DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105105

Authors: Karoline M. Reich, Patrick Heimel, Stefan Lettner, Johannes Kirchner, Stefan Tangl

Institutions: Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Medical University of Vienna, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Traumatology, The Research Center in Cooperation with AUVA

Language: English

Topic: Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies

Subfield: Archeology

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,910