Original Research Article J Dent Specialities.2016;4(2):124-130 124 Pulp volume estimation using CBCT- an in vitro pilot study on extracted monoradicular teeth Akshay Rathore 1* , Suma GN 2 , Sharad Sahai 3 , Manisha Lakhanpal Sharma 4 , Siddharth Srivastava 5 1,5 Senior Lecturer, 4 Professor, I.T.S Centre for Dental Studies & Research, Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2 Professor & Head, Dept. of Oral Medicine & Radiology, SGT Dental College, Vill. Budhera, Dist. Gurgaon, Haryana, India, 3 Director & Consultant, Dental & Maxillofacial Diagnostics, Rajnagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India *Corresponding Author: Email: akshaythedoc@gmail.com Abstract Aim: Age estimation is an important aspect of forensic odontology. Calculation of pulp volume using CBCT and its correlation with age could be an effective, non destructive method. The aim of this pilot study was to verify and calibrate the proposed method of calculating pulp and tooth volume using CBCT. Materials and Method: The study was conducted on six extracted monoradicular teeth which were scanned by Cone Beam CT (CS9300-C 3D.Carestream Health, Inc. Rochester, NY) after endodontic preparation. The tooth (TV2) and pulp volumes (PV 2) were then calculated using imaging software (Xelis Dental software (INFINITT Inc., Seoul, South Korea). Then actual tooth (TV1) and pulp volumes (PV1) were calculated based on the Archimedes principle. The pulp and tooth volume ratios R1 and R2 were also calculated. The estimated and actual values were compared and percentage error was calculated. Results: The percentage error was also calculated to evaluate the accuracy which was found to be 8.84%, 2.6% and 12.7% for TV1 and TV2, PV1 and PV2 and R1 and R2 respectively. Conclusion: These were in accordance with the results by Yang et al. 7 who obtained a percentage error of ±7.8% while the estimated error was quite less than that reported by Star et al 8 who reported the maximum percentage error to be 21% and 16% for pulp and tooth volumes respectively. Keywords: Age Estimation, Forensic Odontology, Cone Beam CT, Pulp Volume Access this article online Website: www.innovativepublication.com DOI: 10.18231/2393-9834.2016.0005 Introduction Age estimation is important in establishing identity of a person and is a sub-discipline of forensic sciences. Various medico-legal issues warrant accurate age estimation thus making it important in the identification process. Multiple age estimation methods have been reported in the forensic literature using teeth over the years. Most methods described involve sectioning and extraction of teeth and thus are not possible on living individuals. Radiological examination of teeth, on the other hand, is a simple, non-destructive method used to obtain information and does not require extraction. 1,2 Thus techniques which are radiology dependent allow for age estimation in living individuals. Radiological studies that have been conducted mostly depend on developmental stages of teeth and their correlation with age and thus have a limited applicability only up to the age of twenty five years. 3,4,5,6 The dental pulp can also be used as an indicator of age because it undergoes regression in size with increasing age due to secondary dentine deposition. This is a continuous process and thus it can be used as a parameter of age estimation even beyond 25 years of age. In 1995, Kvaal et al developed a new method for estimating the chronological age of adults based on the relationship between age and the pulp size on peri- apical dental radiographs. 1 Two dimensional imaging is associated with its inherent errors of distortion and magnification and thus limit the accuracy. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is an imaging modality which generates three- dimensional (3D) data that is accurate and at lower cost and lower absorbed doses when compared to conventional computed tomography (CT). Yang et al. 7 in 2006 estimated age through volume matching of teeth imaged by cone beam CT. The aim of this study was to attempt establishing a correlation between the chronological age of a certain individual and the pulp/tooth volume ratio (PTV) of one of the teeth. The images were analyzed using the custom- made software and linear regression analysis was performed. The results of the analysis showed a moderate correlation between the pulp/tooth volume ratio and biological age. 7 3D images generated by a CBCT unit allow for the calculation of volume of each tooth and corresponding pulp chamber. Thus a study was planned to estimate age using calculation of pulp and tooth volume ratios on mono-radicular teeth and their correlation with age. To validate the research protocol a pilot study was