A COMPARISON OF 3 DENTAL TECHNIQUES FOR ESTIMATING AGE AT DEATH IN HUMANS

For a number of years it has been realized that age related morphological changes in the human skeleton are not the most accurate, or precise, means of estimating the age at death for an individual, and that dental changes can be used as an alternative. This paper critically examines three of the methods used for estimating human age from the dentition which have appeared in the forensic science literature, testing them against a known modern sample population. A new statistical technique to improve age estimates is described and applied to some archaeological specimens.