Applicability of the Demirjian, Willems and Haavikko methods in Croatian children.

Age estimation is an inescapable part of every identification process. During growth and development, it is possible to estimate age based on the developmental stages of teeth. The aim of this study was to evaluate three frequently used methods for dental age estimation on a broad sample of Croatian children. The sample comprised 1996 digital, standardized orthopantomograms of children (1121 boys and 875 girls) aged 5 to 16, collected in four major Croatian cities. Age was estimated according to the Demirjian, Willems and Haavikko methods and the accuracy of the estimation was evaluated. The Kappa for intra-examiner agreement was 0.83 for the Haavikko stages and 0.92 for the Demirjian stages. Using the Demirjian method, the average overestimation of age was 0.80 years for boys and 0.84 years for girls. The Willems method overestimated the mean age by 0.41 years in boys and 0.22 years in girls. The Haavikko method underestimated the mean age by 0.60 years in boys and 0.80 years in girls. The Willems method proved to be the most accurate and can be used for dental age estimation among Croatian children. The Demirjian and Haavikko methods showed greater deviation between dental and chronological age and require adaptation when used in the Croatian population.

Forensic determination of dental age by cementum thickness of human teeth.

The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between the known chronological age and the dental cementum thickness (DCT) in male and female subjects in different age groups. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study sample consisted of 57 donor teeth of both sexes. Teeth were classified by donors' sex and divided into three age groups: 10-19, 30-39 and 60-69 years. Tooth roots were cut with transverse ground sections in the apical, middle, and cervical thirds. DCT measurements were made on photomicrographs of light microscope. The correlation between DCT and the chronological age was calculated using the Spearman correlation coefficient. RESULTS: A positive correlation was found (r=0.47, p <0.001) between DCT and age of the donor. DCT decreased from apical to cervical ground section (median [IQR] apical section 216.72 [128.25-375.00] µm, middle section 158.44 [87.66-284.90] µm; cervical section 96.60 [70.05-165.59] µm). DCT variability was influenced by sex, number of tooth roots and the condition of the tooth crown. The influence differed depending on the location of the section, being most prominent cervically. CONCLUSION: The present study showed correlation of DCT with age, with significant influence of sex, number of tooth roots, condition of the tooth crown and location of the root section.

Digital orthopantomograms in osteoporosis detection: mandibular density and mandibular radiographic indices as skeletal BMD predictors.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the correlation of skeletal bone mineral density (BMD) with mandibular density and mandibular radiographic indices estimated on digital panoramic radiographs. METHODS: Study comprised 112 female subjects older than 45 years. Digital panoramic radiographs were taken, and patients were referred to densitometric measuring (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) of BMD in the hip bones and lumbar spine regions (L1-L4). On the radiographs, mandibular bone density was estimated and the following indices were measured by the DIGORA(®) software (Soredex, Tuusula, Finland): mental index (MI), gonial index (GI), antegonial index (AI), panoramic mandibular index (PMI) and alveolar crest resorption degree (M/M). Mandibular cortical index (MCI) was visually estimated. RESULTS: Mandibular density and visual index MCI are significant predictors of hip and spine BMD. Mandibular density was marked by a significant square trend: it decreased until the age of 54 years and remained constant until the age of 64 years when it started to increase. Significant correlations were found between MI, AI and PMI values and BMD in the hip but not in the lumbar spine region. The GI and M/M values did not show statistically significant correlations with BMD of either region. CONCLUSIONS: Mandibular bone density and mandibular radiographic indices are useful in detecting patients with decreased BMD. The applicability of orthopantomograms in diagnosing osteoporosis/osteopenia should be recognized as the potential greatest benefit of this everyday diagnostic method in dental practice.

Carabelli's trait in Croatian populations over 1800 years.

Examination and comparison of the morphological features of tooth crown in archaeological and recent samples can be difficult due to the different levels of tooth wear seen both within and between populations. These differences make the comparison of frequency data for Carabelli trait problematic. The aim of the present study is to detect the frequency and degree of expression of Carabelli's trait in Croatian populations from late antiquity to recent times and to use these data as supplementary evidence of complex population migration. A total of 1287 individuals from the late antiquity, medieval, early modern and modern periods were examined. Correlation between the presence of Carabelli's trait and tooth crown size was tested. The results of our analyses show that the frequency of Carabelli's trait is significantly greater in the early modern period (51.3%) and in the 21st century (43.1%) than in the late antiquity (20.4%) and medieval periods (23.4%). These results are consistent with historical evidence of migration and population change in the territory of present-day Croatia throughout the almost 1800 years covered by this study. The results also provide additional evidence for the complex nature of population change in the transition from the late antiquity to the early medieval period.

Age estimation in archaeological skeletal remains: evaluation of four non-destructive age calculation methods.

Estimation of age at death is an essential part of reconstructing information from skeletal material. The aim of the investigation was to reconstruct the chronological age of an archaeological sample from Croatia using cranial skeletal remains as well as to make an evaluation of the methods used for age estimation. For this purpose, four age calculation methods were used: palatal suture closure, occlusal tooth wear, tooth root translucency and pulp/tooth area ratio. Cramer's V test was used to test the association between the age calculation methods. Cramer's V test showed high association (0.677) between age determination results using palatal suture closure and occlusal tooth wear, and low association (0.177) between age determination results using palatal suture closure and pulp/tooth area ratio. Simple methods like palatal suture closure can provide data about age at death for large number of individuals, but with less accuracy. More complex methods which require qualified and trained personnel can provide data about age for a smaller number of individuals, but with more accuracy. Using different (both simple and complex) age calculation methods in archaeological samples can raise the level of confidence and percentage of success in determining age.

Characteristics of the craniofacial complex in Turner syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To identify characteristics of the craniofacial complex in Turner syndrome (TS) patients from Croatian population, to investigate the interrelationship among craniofacial variables and to assess their correlation with age. DESIGN: Cephalometric analysis was carried out on lateral cephalograms of 36 TS patients, aged 10-33 years. Cephalograms of 72 age-matched healthy females with class I occlusion served as control. RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis sorted out two variables as predictors of TS: shorter posterior cranial base length (sella-basion) and reduced mandibular prognathism angle (sella-nasion-supramentale). Sixty-four percent of TS patients and 92% of the controls were classified correctly. After exclusion of the variable sella-nasion-supramentale, three variables were significant predictors of TS: shorter sella-basion, larger cranial base angle (nasion-sella-basion) and shorter subspinale-basion distance. Retrognathic position of the jaws in TS subjects was not correlated with the shape of the cranial base. Correlations with age revealed lack of maxillary longitudinal growth with persistent retrognathism and posterior rotation along with reduced mandibular growth. CONCLUSION: Shorter posterior length and increased cranial base angle along with bimaxillary retrognathism were characteristics of TS patients. Results indicated that deficiency of the X chromosome genes had a direct influence on all three anatomic parts - cranial base, maxilla and mandible - causing irregular growth.

Dental identification after two mass disasters in Croatia.

AIM: To determine the usefulness of dental methods in the identification of victims in the railway accident in Zagreb (August 30, 1974) and midair collision of a British and a Slovenian airplane near Vrbovec (September 10, 1976). METHODS: There were 152 people killed in the railway accident, and 176 fatalities in the plane crash (63 in the British and 113 in the Slovenian plane). Individual victim identification and autopsy forms, and group identification reports were analyzed. RESULTS: Of the railway accident victims, 111 were identified. Dental characteristics, along with clothes, personal descriptions, personal documents, fingerprints, and jewelry, proved to be decisive in 5% of the cases. All 63 passengers and crew members from the British plane were identified; in 33% of the victims dental features, along with other characteristics, were decisive. From the Slovenian plane 103 victims were identified, 14% exclusively by teeth and 16% by teeth in combination with other characteristics. Ten bodies remained unidentified. CONCLUSION: The reasons for the small number of dental identifications in the victims of the railway accident were incomplete or unavailable antemortem data provided by relatives and friends of the deceased, and the predominant orientation toward other forensic identification methods. The significant number of dental identifications in the plane crash is explained by the provision of complete and accurate antemortem odontological data. Dental characteristics proved to be particularly valuable in the identification of carbonized victims.