Canine index in establishing Sex Identity – A Study among the Chennai Population

Human teeth being the hardest, durable and most stable form an exemplary material for anthropological, odontological and forensic investigations. Teeth are well preserved even after death. A major outbreak in the forensics of humans is the identification of sex/gender of the individual. This can be determined anthropometric evaluation. Teeth are readily accessible and do not need special dissection and hence form valuable elements in forensic investigations. There exists sexual dimorphism in the canine width and intercanine distance of mandibular canines. These teeth also exhibit greatest difference in the age of eruption than other teeth. Identification of sex precedes age as this would eliminate the missing/ involved persons of one sex.

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