Forensic Age Estimation Using Coronal Pulp Cavity Index (CPCI) in Mandibular Second Premolars and First Molars: A Radiographic Study in Sub-Population of Peshawar
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47489/szmc.v40i2.923Keywords:
Forensic dentistry, Coronal Pulp Cavity Index, Age estimation, Orthopantomogram, IC Measure softwareAbstract
Background: This study aimed to determine the accuracy of age estimation using the Coronal Pulp Cavity Index (CPCI) measured on orthopantomograms (OPGs) of mandibular second premolars and first molars in a Pakistani adult population.
Methodology: A total of 120 orthopantomograms of individuals aged 15 to 75 years were analyzed on IC Measure software from the archives of Khyber College of Dentistry and Rehman College of Dentistry Peshawar. Coronal Height (CH) and Coronal Pulp Cavity Height (CPCH) of mandibular premolars and molars were measured to calculate CPCI. Intra-rater reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Associations with chronological age were examined using Pearson correlations while simple and multiple linear regression models were built to estimate chronological age.
Results: All the OPG parameters demonstrated strong negative correlation with chronological age with molar CPCH showing the most negative trend (r=-0.859, p<0.001). The univariate regression model predicted age with a standard Error of Estimate (SEE) exceeding ± 8 years, indicating limited standalone accuracy. Mandibular molars yielded a greater predictive accuracy than premolars. With multivariate approach, a substantial improvement in precision was observed achieving an SEE of ±4.8 years and a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of ± 3 years.
Conclusion: CPCI provides a reliable, non-invasive tool for forensic age estimation in the Pakistani population, especially when multiple parameters are incorporated. Hence, population- and tooth-specific regression models are recommended to improve forensic precision in age estimation.
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