European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Age is an important factor in clinical practice, research, and court of law. One of the interesting applications of forensic odontology is age estimation by means of teeth. Dental development is relatively independent from other systems maturation. Detectable variation in the tempo of tooth mineralization and duration of tooth maturation between children from different geographical regions were reported. Enamel is translucent and varies in color from light yellow to grey white. The color of the teeth has been reported to be affected by chronological age. Enamel color may also depend on environmental factors viz. diet, occupational habits, vitamin deficiencies, fluoride level in drinking water etc. Enamel color was found to be associated with the chronological age . The enamel color was evaluated using a VITA classical shade guide. Identification of individual age with no birth record can be done using enamel color. Further advance in enamel shade for age estimation with increased sample size would enhance the knowledge and improve the accuracy of methods used in the field of forensic odontology.