On the validity of individual age-at-death diagnosis by incremental line counts in human dental cementum. Technical considerations

Histological analysis of 91 roots from 80 freshly extracted teeth from patients with known calendar age and life-history parameters revealed that the validity of a chronological age-at-death diagnosis based on the count of incremental lines in human dental cementum is essentially dependent from two parameters: method of analysis, and pathological state of the investigated tooth. In this paper, we want to contribute to the establishment of a methodological standard procedure by comparison of our own results with otherwise published research designs. We conclude that as long as the necessary prerequisites are met, the quantitative analysis of cementum annulli will lead to a rather precise chronological age-at-death diagnosis. In addition, a qualitative analysis permits the ontogenetic dating of certain individual life-history parameters (e.g. previous pregnancies).