1Junior House Officer, Townsville Hospital and Health Services, Queensland, Australia
2Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Dehradun
3Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh
*Corresponding author: Dr Rattan Singh, Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Swami Rama Himalayan University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand-248016 E mail: dr.rattan.singh2004@gmail.com Ph: 9968444816, 8958461235
Online published on 27 July, 2017.
The identity of an individual can be established by various parameters such as age, sex, stature, anthropometric measurements, teeth, DNA and so on; sex determination being one of the primary characteristics of identity of an individual. Teeth provide excellent models for the study of relationship between ontogeny and phylogeny. Out of all the teeth, mandibular canines are considered to be most stable as they resist decay due to caries or other diseases of teeth.
A total of 100 candidates, 50 males and 50 females; between 18 to 25 years of age were chosen for the study in the Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi. Mandibular Canine Index (MCI) was calculated for all these subjects by preparing a dental cast for the lower jaw, then mandibular canine crown width and inter-canine arch width were measured from these casts by using a vernier caliper of 0.02 mm calibration.
The mean right mandibular canine index (RMCI) was found out to be 0.26311 ± 0.016826 and 0.25703± 0.017761 for males and females respectively. The mean left mandibular canine index (LMCI) was 0.26240 ± 0.017955 and 0.25792 ± 0.016559 for males and females respectively. The mean mandibular canine index (MCI) for both sides for males was 0.26275 ± 0.016697 and for females was observed to be 0.25748 ± 0.016501. Thus, by using standard MCI, we were able to correctly classify 62% males and 56% females. Overall predictability was calculated to be 59%. Independent t-test was done and it was fond that the mean of Right canine width (RCW), left canine width (LCW) and Inter canine width (ICW) has significant mean difference. However, the mean of RMCI, LMCI and mean MCI are not significant.
It can be concluded that though RCW, LCW and ICW can be considered as independent factors for sex determination, MCI as such is not that significant. MCI has a limited individual value and thus may be used only as an adjunct in sex determination in combination with skeletal measurements.
Mandibular Canine Index (MCI), Identity, Sex, Dental Cast
