Forensic dentistry plays an important role in human identification by using dental evidence. The characteristics of the teeth can remain unchanged even after exposure to extreme environmental conditions, making the tooth an excellent forensic investigative tool. One of the most important steps in the human identification process is sex determination. The gold standard in this field is DNA, but its use may be limited under certain conditions requiring the use of other methods such as odontometry.
Materials and methods: A total of 205 casts of melanoderms subjects of Senegalese parents and grandparents (102 women, 103 men), were studied. The mesio-distal diameters of the mandibular canine and the inter-canine distance were measured with a digital display caliper on plaster models. The measurements obtained made it possible to determine a canine mandibular index (MCI) of 0.251 from the sexual prediction equation. From this index, prediction rates were determined.
Results: In this study, the overall rate of positive sexual prediction is 67.31%. The success rate was higher for men 69.9% than for women 64.70%. Conclusion: The method used in this study is simple, easy to implement and can therefore be used in forensic dentistry for sex estimation.