Use of mandibular canine index as a tool in gender dimorphism: A phenotypic study

Introduction: The role of human dentition in gender dimorphism can be investigated owing to its resistance against peri and postmortem insults. Hence, it forms an excellent tool for forensic, genetic, odontological and anthropological investigations. Among all the teeth, the mandibular canines are found to exhibit the greatest gender dimorphism. Aim: To determine a method of diagnosing gender from the dentition in a population of Ghailla village, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Materials and Methods: Intercanine distance and widths of both right and left mandibular canine were measured intraorally and on the dental casts of the same individuals followed by mandibular canine index calculation. Results: In the female group, the mesiodistal (MD) width was less than 7 mm in the majority of individuals. It was also interpreted that the left canine was found to exhibit greater gender dimorphism. The reliability with regards to gender was 76.6% for males and 73.3% for females. The standard value of mandibular canine index was (0.35); hence, numerical quantities above this value belonged to the masculine sex and below this value belonged to the feminine sex. Conclusion: The left canine was found to exhibit greater gender dimorphism. Whenever the width of either canine was greater than 7 mm, the probability of gender being male was 100% in the present study.