Puja Bansal

Mandibular canine index as a sex determinant: A study on the population of western Uttar Pradesh

Objective: To establish the effectiveness of mandibular canine index in predicting sex in Western Uttar Pradesh population. Materials and Methods: 200 subjects belonging to Western Uttar Pradesh population (100 males; 100 females) in the age group of 17-25 yrs were included. Impressions were made with alginate and study models prepared with dental stone. Maximum mesiodistal diameter of mandibular canines and the linear distance between tips of mandibular canines were measured using a Vernier caliper. Observed mandibular canine index (MCI o ) was calculated as the ratio between the maximum mesiodistal width of mandibular canine and canine arc width. Results: Left canine exhibited greater sexual dimorphism i.e. 9.05% as compared with right canine i.e. 8.782%. Sex could be predicted correctly in approximately 70% of subjects examined. Conclusion: With the standard MCI it was possible to detect sex in the population of Western Uttar Pradesh to an extent of about 72%. Hence it is considered as a quick, easy and reproducible method for determining the sex of an individual.

Incremental lines in root cementum of human teeth: an approach to their role in age estimation using polarizing microscopy.

Age estimation is an important factor in the identification of an individual in forensic science. The hard tissues of the human dentition are able to resist decay and degradation long after other tissues are lost. This resistance has made teeth useful indicators for age calculation. Recent research indicates that tooth cementum annulations (TCA) may be used more reliably than any other morphological or histological traits of the adult skeleton for age estimation. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between age and the number of incremental lines in human dental cementum and to ascertain the best method of studying cementum with respect to different forms of microscopy. Thirty nonrestorable teeth were extracted from 20 people, and longitudinal ground section of each tooth was prepared. Photomicrographs of the area at the junction of apical and middle third of the root under light and polarized microscope were taken. The cementum was composed of multiple light and dark bands that were counted on the photomicrograph with the help of image analysis software and added to the average eruption time of individual tooth. The predicted age of the individual was thus obtained. Results showed a significant correlation between the predicted age and actual chronological age of the individual. These data indicate that quantitation of cementum annuli is a moderately reliable means for age estimation in humans and polarizing microscopy is a better means of visualizing incremental lines of cementum compared to light microscopy.

Intraoral solitary neurofibroma in an infant

Neurofibroma is a non-circumscribed, thick and irregular benign tumor of the peripheral nerve sheath. On the skin, the diffuse and soft nature of neurofibroma often resembles a bag of worms. It can develop at any point along a nerve and often form by late adolescence. Although neurofibromas occur predominantly as a feature of neurofibromatosis affecting the soft tissue, a few cases of solitary intraoral neurofibromas have also been reported. Solitary intraosseous neurofibroma in the oral cavity is a rare benign tumor with very few cases reported in literature. This case report presents a case of intraosseous solitary neurofibroma of maxilla in a 5-month-old male child due to the rarity of this tumor at this site in very early age, along with a discussion of its clinical, radiological, and histopathological presentation.

Odontogenic Myxoma of the Maxilla Infiltrating the Maxillary Sinus: A Rare Case Report

Odontogenic myxomas are tumors derived from embryonic mesenchymal elements of dental anlage. Although benign, odontogenic myxomas draw great attention because of their invasive nature into the surrounding tissues, which make the tumour amenable to recur especially after conservative treatment. We present a case of odontogenic myxoma with a displaced maxillary molar in the sinus, an unusual radiographic finding reported in literature.