Sex Determination Potential from Canine Tooth Dimensions

• This study was conducted to know sex determination potential from mesiodistal dimensions of permanent canines.
• To find out the average size of canines in males and females of south Indian population.
• To compare the findings with National and International Studies.
Study Design: The subjects were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria set forth for the study. Measurements of mesiodistal widths of the four canines were made on the dental casts of each of the 600 subjects with Digital caliper with 0.01 resolution and subjected to statistical analysis. Statistical methods used were statistical mean, standard deviation, Student’s t-test (p< 0.05), step-wise discriminant analysis and cross validated discriminant analysis using SPSS version 11.00.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology ,Al-Badar Rural Dental College and Hospital, Gulbarga , Karnataka, India , between May 2008 and May 2011.
Methodology: We included 600 patients (300 men, 300 women; age range 17-25 years).

Results:
• The mesiodistal width of canines of both the jaws is significantly greater in males than females.
• The mean maxillary canine width in males and females is 7.73 mm. The mean mandibular canine width in males and females is 6.825 mm.
• The mean (male and female), maxillary and mandibular canine width is found to be less in South Indian Population as compared to Central Indian population.
• The mean (male and female), maxillary and mandibular canine width is found to be less in South India Population as compared to values given by Wheelers and similar to the study done in the Saudi population.
Conclusion: The present study measured only linear dimensions because of simplicity, reliability, inexpensibility and in a setup where latest technology utilizing DNA methods are not available and gender estimation has to be managed based on jaw fragments.