Revealing Stature and Facial Proportions from Teeth: An Adjunct to Forensic Science

Abstract

Background: Teeth and skull remains are often some of the evidences available that can be used reliably for identification in medicolegal cases. Determination of Stature and facial proportions from teeth dimensions have not been utilised fully in the field of forensics. This study was designed with the aim to estimate stature as well as facial proportions from teeth and head measurements. Objectives: To correlate height of an individual to combined mesiodistal width (CMDW) of maxillary anterior teeth and head circumference and to correlate the facial height and facial width to the cervicoincisal and mesiodistal dimensions of maxillary central incisor. Methodology: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among 1000 patients of age group 18–30 years of Kerala origin by birth and domicile who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Study variables included length and width of the face, combined mesiodistal (MD) width of maxillary anterior teeth, mesiodistal and cervicoincisal dimension of maxillary central incisor, circumference of the head and height of the individual. The results were statistically analysed using Karl Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results: Correlation between height and head circumference, height and combined mesiodistal width of maxillary anterior teeth, width of face to mesio-distal width of maxillary central incisor showed significant correlation with p value <0.05, but the correlation coefficients were very weak. But while correlating facial length to cervicoincisal length of maxillary central incisor the values obtained were not statistically significant.