MALE CHILD?

The two words above says it all. We are here to find out the sex and the age of the skull discovered by Dr. Rudi in our given case.

Firstly, let us determine the sex.

Well, it is generally not possible to give a gender to the skull, as it has not passed puberty and is starting to show some of the characteristics appropriate to its sex. Since the hormones are yet to wake up and carry out their amazing jobs, the sex of the child is nowhere near to be identified.

Next, we come to an interesting point.

Does the skull belong to a child? As the child is still in the progress of growing, the skull is generally smaller in a child compared to the adult. However, how do we determine the age of the skull? The sutures on the skull play a big role in terms of determining the approximate age of a skull. In terms of the sutures, as we grow older, the sutures ultimately completely “fill in”. The less filled in, the younger the person is. This means that aging has a habit of making us all a bit more hard-headed; this explains a lot about your teachers . . .

Picture adapted: http://www.clipart.com


The picture below shows development of skull.

Picture adapted: http://www.boneclones.com/

In terms of infants, we can determine the age in weeks fairly accurately by examining the development of the skull. However, as the infant grow and the baby teeth start erupting from the gum (gingiva), the tooth development is another great evidence to determine the age of the skull.

Why you might ask, is tooth development playing an important role here? Don’t the teeth get themselves out anytime? NO! Teeth don’t erupt whenever they like to, the eruption takes place in a chronological order. Don’t forget that we are the Forensic Dentists now, so we are supposed to study the tooth development too! Without any delay, let’s get this started!!

Pictures below show the primary and permanent dentition with the tooth names, and eruption dates as well as shedding dates.

Picture adapted: http://www.bennettdentalgroup.com/faq.html

Picture adapted: http://www.drchetan.com/dentalpics/dental-pics/dentition/permanent-teeth/

The term dentition is used to describe the natural teeth in the jaws. There are two dentitions in a person’s entire life: primary (deciduous) and permanent dentition. A child’s primary dentition develops even before birth and consists of 20 teeth, which erupt and are later shed. As the primary teeth are shed and the jaws grow and mature, the permanent dentition, consisting of as many as 32 teeth, gradually erupts and replaces the primary dentition. An overlapping period between the primary and permanent dentition during the preteen years is referred to as the mixed dentition period, when the child has some teeth from both dentitions.

Don’t worry if you can’t memorize the names and dates in this short time. A professional doesn’t gain his knowledge in a day, so it takes years of studies and experiences for a Forensic Dentist to identify the age of the skull. Here are some pictures showing the skull age based on the sutures and tooth development, hopefully they’ll be of great help to you in studying!

This skull of a child shows a dental eruption pattern consistent with that of a 6-7-year-old. Although composed predominately of primary (deciduous) teeth, the jaws contain a mixed pattern of dentition. The basilar suture (spheno-occipital synchondrosis) is completely open, a sign of skeletal immaturity and consistent with this estimated age.

Picture adapted: http://www.boneclones.com/

The age of the skull was determined by referring to the natural bone specimen and a panoramic radiograph, both of which suggest a range from 7.5 to 12.5 years. The root apices of the permanent incisors and first molars are almost completely formed. The spheno-occipital synchondrosis is open. The anterior intra-occipital suture is closed.

Picture adapted: http://www.boneclones.com/

This skull offers an excellent example of an adolescent. With the exception of the wisdom teeth, all permanent teeth are fully erupted, and no deciduous dentition remains. The apices of the canines, premolars, and second molars are approximately one-half to two-thirds closed radiographically; this is consistent with 13.5 - 14 years. The crowns of the three remaining third molars are in an early stage of calcification. Radiographically, there is no evidence of root formation. The early stage of third molar crown formation is usually complete by 13 years.

Picture adapted: http://www.boneclones.com/

This skull here shows us the real situation going on when surface of the maxilla and mandible is removed. You can clearly see the different dentitions, where the skull is losing its primary teeth (baby teeth) and they are being replaced or succeeded by secondary/permanent dentition. This is known as a mixed dentition as the primary mandibular incisors are missing and we can see the emerging permanent incisors. Based on this discovery, we might assume that the dental age of this skull is approximately 7-8 years of age.

Picture adapted: http://twentytwowords.com/2011/06/16/what-childrens-skulls-look-like-as-they-prepare-to-lose-their-baby-teeth/

Reference:

1. http://www.spoilheap.co.uk/hsr1.htm

2. http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/forensics/11-forensic_anthropology/skeleton_evidence.htm

3. Fehrenbach, Margaret J. 2011. 3^rd ed. Ilustrated Dental Embryology, Histology, and Anatomy.