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Tooth Cementum Annulation for Estimation of Age-at-Death in Thermally Altered Remains

  1. Timothy P. Gocha M.Sc.1,
  2. Holger Schutkowski Ph.D.2,*

Article first published online: 26 NOV 2012

DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.12023

Issue

Journal of Forensic Sciences

Journal of Forensic Sciences

Special Issue: The American Academy of Forensic Sciences and Wiley-Blackwell have published this supplement without fi nancial support

Volume 58, Issue Supplement s1, pages S151–S155, January 2013

Additional Information

How to Cite

Gocha, T. P. and Schutkowski, H. (2013), Tooth Cementum Annulation for Estimation of Age-at-Death in Thermally Altered Remains. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 58: S151–S155. doi: 10.1111/1556-4029.12023

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43205

  2. 2

    School of Applied Sciences, Bournemouth University, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, U.K

* Additional information and reprint requests:
Holger Schutkowski, Ph.D.
School of Applied Sciences
Bournemouth University
Talbot Campus
Poole
Dorset BH12 5BB
U.K.
E-mail: hschutkowski@bournemouth.ac.uk

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 10 JAN 2013
  2. Article first published online: 26 NOV 2012
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 21 JAN 2012
  4. Manuscript Revised: 22 DEC 2011
  5. Manuscript Received: 21 SEP 2011

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Keywords:

  • forensic science;
  • forensic anthropology;
  • tooth cementum annulations;
  • dental cementum;
  • thermal alteration;
  • cremation;
  • age-at-death;
  • age estimation

Abstract

Assessment of tooth cementum annulations (TCA) is acknowledged for its potential as a more accurate method for estimating age-at-death than conventional macroscopic methods typically employed. Thermal alteration of remains in a forensic context is not uncommon; however, the use of TCA in heat-treated remains has hitherto received no quantitative assessment of accuracy. This study applies TCA to a sample of modern teeth of known demographics after experimental heat treatment at 600, 800 and 1000°C. Cementum annulations do survive thermal alteration; however, their visibility is dependent on exposure temperature. Physical and chemical changes resulted in TCA being applicable to only 63.3% of samples. An overall correlation to known age of r = 0.522 (p < 0.05) was found, while correlations of r = 0.868 (p < 0.01), r = 0.249, and r = −0.185, were found for 600, 800, and 1000°C subsets, respectively. These results indicate that in teeth exposed to temperatures >600°C, TCA no longer yields accurate enough results to be of use in forensic investigations.

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