Odontometric analysis of permanent canines in a brazilian population for the investigation of sexual dimorphism

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the potential of permanent canines for sexual dimorphism in a Brazilian population. Methods: The sample consisted of 172 dental casts from females (n=102) and males (n=70) aged between 13 and 49 years old. Each dental cast underwent mesiodistal (MD) and buccolingual (BL) measurement of the permanent canines using a digital caliper and a bow compass. MD and BL dimensions were compared between sex groups using Student's t-test for independent samples. Results: Statistically significant differences were observed comparing the odontometric information between females and males (p<0.05). Conclusion: These findings indicate that permanent canines have metric characteristics to enable sexual dimorphism, becoming useful for Brazilian forensic services.