Recession of periodontal ligament as an indicator of age.

The recession of the periodontal ligament has been used as one of several indicators of age in methods for age estimation. In a sample of 1000 teeth the relationship between age and periodontal recession was studied for each type of tooth. Only a weak correlation was found, the least weak being for premolars. The mean of the periodontal recession measured in mm showed approximately the same correlation as when assessed by scoring systems. Logarithmic transformation of the mean of the recession resulted in a stronger correlation with age. The use of tooth age rather than individual age did not have the same effect. Periodontal recession tended to be more rapid in males than in females. The reason for extraction was not found to be significantly correlated with periodontal recession. In conclusion, periodontal recession was not sufficiently accurate to be used as a sole indicator of age. However, in multiple regression methods for age estimation it might contribute significantly to the age equation, especially for premolars.