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Dental morphometric and non-morphometric in sex assessment: A systematic review and meta analysis
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DOI：10.1007/s00414-026-03762-9.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Sex determination from skeletal remains is a critical step in forensic identification, particularly when remains are fragmented. Forensic odontology contributes significantly through dental morphometric and non-morphometric assessments, both of which exhibit sexual dimorphism. However, reported accuracy varies, and findings remain inconsistent. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the reliability of dental parameters for sex estimation. A comprehensive search of seven databases (PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, Web of Science, Taylor & Francis, Wiley Library, and MDPI) was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO ID: CRD420251091284). Eligible studies were cross-sectional, published in English within the past 10 years, and assessed sex using dental morphometric or non-morphometric methods. Forty-six studies involving 8,053 individuals (4,059 males; 3,994 females) met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 44 assessed morphometric parameters and 4 assessed non-morphometric parameters. Mandibular and maxillary measurements were the most frequently analyzed and consistently demonstrated significant dimorphism (p < 0.05), whereas maxillary sinuses and palatal index showed no significance. Additional morphometric predictors included crista galli, mental foramen, and mastoid triangle. In contrast, pooled non-morphometric analyses involving 3,262 samples showed no significant association with sex estimation (p = 0.70). Overall, morphometric measurements provide more accurate and reliable tools for forensic sex determination than non-morphometric approaches. Further research is needed to validate non-morphometric parameters and address population heterogeneity in forensic applications.
Keywords:
Dental morphometric
Dental non-morphometric
Dental morphology
Gender identification
Sex identification
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