AbstractIntroduction: The teeth are one of the durable parts of our body which can withstand more assaults than any other part of the body and there exists a relation between tooth crown length and body height. The study aims to determine the possible correlation between tooth dimensions and stature estimation using Carrea’s index. Materials and methods: The study group comprised about 67 subjects above 18 years. Alginate impressions were made for mandibular arch and height was assessed. The mesiodistal widths of mandibular anterior teeth were measured and substituted in the formula given by Carrea to obtain the minimum and the maximum estimated height of a person. Results: On comparison of the Carrea’s index in right side, females showed 9.3% successful prediction, on left side 8.3% showed successful prediction in males than in females. The height was accurately predicted when average values of left and right side were considered. Females showed 55.8% accuracy and males showed 37.5% which was statistically significant. Discussion: Teeth could be used as a reliable source for stature estimation especially in those forensic cases where other body parts are not available. In the present study the average values from right and left side were considered for both genders to predict the height of the individual. Our findings could be explained on the basis that perfect bilateral symmetry seldom exists on right and left side arches which could be due to congenital or environmental factors or both. The Carrea´s index for stature estimation is a convenient, simple and inexpensive method, and can provide valuable information to the forensic investigation.
Keywords: Carrea’s index; Stature; Forensic Odontology.