A forensic odontologist examines ground sections of a tooth from skeletal remains of an adult estimated to be over 50 years old. Counting of incremental growth layers in which dental tissue gives a reasonably accurate age estimate?

• A Enamel
• B Dental pulp
• C Coronal dentine
• D Cementum ✓

Explanation

Cementum continues to be deposited throughout life as annual incremental lines, so counting these layers in stained ground sections gives an age estimate usually within about two to three years. This method remains useful in older adults where skeletal and eruption-based methods are exhausted. Enamel is fully formed during tooth development and adds no post-eruption layers. Coronal dentine matures early, and pulp tissue does not form regular annual markers.

Reference: Knight's Forensic Pathology, 4th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.