International Journal of Multidisciplinary Health Sciences and Research

Category: Short Paper,      DOI: N/A Recived: 10/08/2025, Accepted: 26/09/2025, Published online: 30/09/2025

Sex Determination through Odontometric Analysis: The Role of Mandibular Canine Index in North Indians

Hemant Shandilya¹, Dr. Rattan Singh²*, Dr. Jyoti Barwa³, Dr. Sanjoy Das4, Dr. Devinder Atal5

Abstract:

Background: Identification of an individual whether ante-mortem or post-mortem using various parameters such as race, age, sex, stature, DNA, fingerprinting etc. is of cardinal importance in forensic investigation. In medico legal cases, forensic experts are often asked to assist the investigative agencies in determining age, race, sex of an individual particularly of fragmented bodies. Canines being less severely affected by most of the periodontal diseases are considered to be useful in such cases. Thus, this study focuses on determining sex of the North Indian population using Mandibular Canine Index (MCI).

Materials & Method: The study was conducted in Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, SRHU, Dehradun, involving 100 healthy subjects (50 were males and 50 females) of the age range 17-25 years. Mandibular impressions of all the subjects were taken and dental plate was prepared containing impressions filled with dental stone forming mandibular dental casts. Inter?canine distance & Mandibular canine width on both sides were measured on these casts using a digital Vernier's calliper to obtain MCI.

Observations & Result: Mean left canine width, Right canine width, and Intercanine distance was found to be greater in males than in females and the difference was found to be statistically significant. Sexual dimorphism shown by intercanine distance (12.57%) was more than that showed by left mandibular canine (8.35%) and right mandibular canine (6.51%). The percentage of cases correctly predicted using the MCI (Standard MCI = 0.258) were 36% males and 44% females

Conclusion: MCI is a quick and easy method for determining sex but very less percentage of accuracy is being observed. Hence, more studies with stratification of data is required