Accuracy of forensic age estimation using cementum annulation and dentin translucency in adult: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Identification of the living and the dead individual is essential in routine forensic dental examinations. Age determination can be of great value in forensic odontology, not only in identifying bodies but also in relation to crime. When subjects have extensive changes that external features provide no information, teeth are often the only means of identification. Several procedures for age-at-death estimation in adults have been introduced. Two of them, cementum annulation and dentin translucency, are frequently used as a single dental indicator. Cementum annulation refers to an alternating dark and light band; each pair of it represents 1 year. Meanwhile, dentin translucency is the other dental physiological process that begins in the second or third decade of life and progresses with age. There are still few studies that compared both methods and their accuracy in estimating adult age at death. Therefore, this study aims to test and compare cementum annulation and dentin translucency accuracy by performing a systematic search on five online databases (Pubmed, Scopus, Ebsco, ScienceDirect, and Wiley). All the research articles must be published in the last 10 years, and the full paper must be available in English. Out of the total 1178 literature, 28 studies were recruited for qualitative analysis and 23 studies for meta-analysis. The results show that dentin translucency age estimation is more accurate than the cementum annulation method in the entire population. It is recommended to use the cementum annulation method for younger adults (15-44 years) and the dentin translucency method for the older ones (>= 45 years).

Automated summary

Identification of the living and the dead is crucial in forensic dental examinations. Age determination plays a significant role in forensic odontology, particularly in relation to identifying bodies and crime investigation. Teeth serve as the primary means of identification when external features do not provide sufficient information. Various methods for estimating age at death in adults have been introduced, including cementum annulation and dentin translucency. This study compared the accuracy of these two methods and found that dentin translucency age estimation is more precise than cementum annulation in the general population. It is recommended to use cementum annulation for younger adults (15-44 years) and dentin translucency for older individuals (>= 45 years).