Sex estimation by tooth dimension in a contemporary Spanish population

•Mesio-distal tooth width can be used as a complementary tool for sex estimation in a forensic context.•A linear regression equation relying only on tooth measurements is presented and discussed.•Sex estimation by dental measurement is a fast and inexpensive approach.•The global accuracy of the method is discussed. Sex determination is a fundamental step in the biologic profile reconstruction of unknown individuals. Teeth are frequently recovered intact, even in case of natural or mass disasters, fires, crashes or accidents. Therefore, they are very valuable in sex determination in a forensic and anthropological context. The objective of this study is to identify a method for sex determination using the mesio-distal widths of permanent teeth, in a contemporary Spanish sample. The mesio-distal dimensions of permanent teeth were obtained from study casts derived from patients seeking treatment at the orthodontic clinic of the Universidad Europea de Valencia. A total of 210 patients were included in the study group after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The mean age of the subjects was 14.48±2.78 in males and 14.71±2.69 in females. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed from the logarithm of the dental widths. Then, a Logistic Regression Model (LRM) was used to assess the statistical significance of the relations among the components and the sex of an individual. Based on the indicators Average Tooth Dimension (ADT), Canines to the Rest of the dentition Ratio (CRR) and Lower to Upper Canine Ratio (LUCR) a predictive equation was obtained in order to determine the sex of an unknown individual. The global accuracy of the method was 76.2%. If a simpler model is used based only on the LUCR indicator the accuracy reached would be of 65.7%. The global accuracy of the method in a validation group proved to be 70%. The use of tooth dimension can be a considered a valuable complementary tool to use in sex determination in a Spanish contemporary population.