Journal of Mahatma Gandhi University of Medical Sciences and Technology

Register      Login

VOLUME 3 , ISSUE 3 ( September-December, 2018 ) > List of Articles

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Age Changes in Dentin and Dental Pulp: A Radiographic Study

Shashank Gupta, Garima Gupta, Neha Gupta

Keywords : Age estimation, Pulp chamber width, Root canal width, Secondary dentin

Citation Information : Gupta S, Gupta G, Gupta N. Age Changes in Dentin and Dental Pulp: A Radiographic Study. J Mahatma Gandhi Univ Med Sci Tech 2018; 3 (3):82-87.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10057-0084

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 27-06-2019

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2018; The Author(s).


Abstract

Introduction: We are all biologically unique and become more diverse as we age, enhancing the spice of life with increasing variety. In many ways, the teeth are unique organs of the body; they are the most durable part of the skeleton. The gradual changes taking place in the dental tissue after the teeth are fully formed are of clinical importance and need to be recognized by the dental surgeon as being a normal finding and not a part of the disease process. Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study is to estimate relationship between size of the pulp and the dentin with age and to know if there is a significant difference in size of the pulp and the dentin among various age groups. The clinical significance of the study will be to use the average tooth length and width obtained by this study as the standard guideline for age estimation and to utilize the results of the present study in forensic science and anthropology and as an aging biomarker. Results: From the study, it was concluded that in both males and females there is decrease in root canal length and width with increasing age, which is attributed to secondary dentin formation. In the age group of 11–60, the length and width of pulp canals of mandibular central and lateral incisors decreased with the advancing age and this difference is statistically significant with the p value of less than 0.000. Conclusion: In the future computer-assisted measurements, i.e., latest digital radiographic techniques are suggested to measure the above parameters; this may could throw light on forensic applications, medicolegal issues, and legal issues regarding age estimation by measuring root canal length and width.


HTML PDF Share
  1. Adams D. Age changes in oral structures. Dent Update 1991;18(1): 15–17.
  2. Cameron JM, Smith BG. The tooth and age determination. In: Forensic Dentistry. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 1974. pp. 23–45.
  3. Mjor IA. Age changes in the teeth. In: Pedersen Poul-Hohm, HeradlLoe. Geriatric Dentistry, 1st ed., Munksgaard, Copenhegan; 1986. pp. 94–100.
  4. Morse DR, Esposito JV, Schoor RS. A radiographic study of aging changes of the dental pulp and dentin in normal teeth. Quintessence Int 1993;24(5):329–333.
  5. Siddiqui FA, Sheikh A, Akhtar SA, et al. Radiographic Evaluation of dentin thickness and pulp space width for different age groups. JPDA 2012;21(2):99–102.
  6. Lucy D, Pollard AM. Further comments on the estimation of error associated with the Gustafson dental age estimation method. J Forensic Sci 1995;40(2):222–227. DOI: 10.1520/JFS15346J.
  7. Kvaal IS, Kolltveit KM, Thomsen IO, et al. Age estimation of adults from dental radiographs. Forensic Sci Int 1995;74(3):175–185. DOI: 10.1016/0379-0738(95)01760-G.
  8. Nitzan DW, Michaeli Y, Weinreb N, et al. The effect of aging on tooth morphology: a study on impacted teeth. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 1986;61(1):54–60. DOI: 10.1016/0030-4220(86)90203-3.
  9. Murray PE, Stanley HR, Matthews JB, et al. Age-related odontometric changes of human teeth. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2002;93(4):474–482. DOI: 10.1067/moe.2002. 120974.
PDF Share
PDF Share

© Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) LTD.