Secondary Dentin as an Aid in Gender Predilection: A Forensic Study

Background Forensic odontology deals with age, sex, and race determination of the deceased at crime scenes, disasters, or natural calamities. Studies regarding the role of secondary dentin in age estimation have been documented on a several occasions in the literature but use of secondary dentin in gender predilection has not yet been documented. So, the present study was aimed at using the secondary dentin as a diagnostic tool in gender predilection. Materials and Methods The study included a total of 20 samples (10 males and 10 females). Extracted teeth were collected and placed in 10% neutral buffered formalin solution. The sections were ground on Arkansas stone until the appropriate thickness of the ground sections was achieved. The freshly prepared ground section was mounted on a slide using DPX mounting media. Ground sections were visualized under a microscope and the thickness of secondary dentine was measured using the image analysis software. Results The data were collected and subjected to group statistics. The secondary dentin thickness of all the samples, males and females, was measured. It was observed in our study that the mean thickness of secondary dentin was more in male samples (0.2970) with the standard deviation of 0.01494, as compared with that of females where the mean thickness was found to be 0.1970 with the standard deviation of 0.02058. Conclusion This study has shown that variation in secondary dentin thickness does exist between male and female groups. This criterion can be considered as an aid for gender determination in the future.

Histologic Evaluation of Tertiary Dentine after Indirect Pulp Capping Procedures

Early carious lesions induce odontoblast stimulation in tertiary dentine formation even before the lesion reaches the dentine. The most used material for these procedures was calcium hydroxide, which was recently replaced by Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA).The purpose of our study was to assess the histological characteristics of tertiary dentine induced by these materials in permanent molar teeth.We used 23 molars scheduled for extraction due to orthodontic reasons, in patients of 17-24 years of age. In a time interval of 4-8 weeks prior to extraction, occlusal cavities were prepared and filled with MTA or calcium hydroxide and glass ionomer cement.In teeth filled with MTA we noticed an early development of tertiary dentin layer, with a tubular structure, similar to secondary dentine. In the case of calcium hydroxide, the process of new dentine deposition was delayed and diffuse calcification, with formation of pulp stones was noticed.MTA proved to be superior to calcium hydroxide in inducing tertiary dentine formation, which appeared early after treatment. In time the differences in the amount of tertiary dentine between these materials are reduced, but there is a tendency of diffuse mineralization induced by calcium hydroxide.

Primary and secondary dentine thickness at the apical foramen of the mesial and distal root of the lower first permanent molar

Introduction Knowledge of the complexity of the root canal system in lower first molars and particularly the apical part of the root affects significantly the realization and success of the endodontic procedure. Aim The aim of this paper was to determine the thickness of the primary and secondary dentine around the main foramen of the mesial and distal root of the lower first permanent molar in teeth of various ages. Material and Method Fifty extracted lower first molars of both male and female patients extracted for various reasons were used in the study. All teeth were allocated to three age groups: under 25 years old (15 teeth), between 26 and 50 (20 teeth) and over 51 years old (15 teeth). After access cavity preparation, canal orifices were enlarged and root canals were explored using hand K-files #10. Using a diamond disc, the root tip was then cut off in the area of the apical foramen. Dentine thickness was determined using a complex configuration comprising of several devices which were interconnected by software. These included a polarised microscope (Leica DMLSP), a digital camera (Leica DC300) and a scanner. Results The results showed that the greatest mean thickness of the primary dentine was in the mesial root of the first lower molar in the first age group (0.177 mm), followed by the third (0.145 mm) whilst the least mean thickness was observed in the second age group (0.141 mm). In the distal root, the mean thickness of the primary dentine was in the second (0.175 mm), then the first (0.138 mm) and finally the third group (0.100 mm). The mean thickness of the secondary dentine in the mesial root was observed in the second group (1.25 mm), followed by the third (1.11 mm) whilst the least mean thickness was found in the first age group (0.95 mm). The mean thickness of the secondary dentine in the distal root was observed in the second group (1.26 mm), then the third (1.18 mm) whilst the least mean thickness was found in the first age group (0.99 mm). Conclusion The obtained results suggested that the mean thickness of the primary dentine in the mesial and distal roots was comparable. For both mesial and distal roots, the greatest mean thickness of the secondary dentine was observed in the second age group.