RT Journal Article
T1 Thermogravimetric analysis: A new tool for dating human teeth
A1 Rubio-Lamia, Leticia Olga
A1 Delgado Ruiz, Alba
A1 Lozano Peral, Diego
A1 Suárez-Pérez, Juan
A1 Martín-de-las-Heras, Stella
K1 Odontología
K1 Termogravimetría
K1 Medicina legal
K1 Antroprología forense
AB Dating human skeletal remains is a major challenge in forensic science. The aim of this study is to correlatedating intervals related to the time elapsed since tooth extraction and the mass loss of human teeth, measuredusing thermogravimetry analysis in two different atmospheres: air and nitrogen. Forty healthy human teeth werestored for different periods after extraction (0, 10, 25, 50 years; N = 10/group) under controlled laboratoryconditions. Thermogravimetric parameters (total percentage of mass loss, and percentage of mass loss in Step 1,Step 2 and Step 3) and derivatives of thermogravimetric parameters (temperature of maximum mass loss at Peak1, Peak 2 and Peak 3) were quantified. Binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC)analyses were applied to assess the ability of these parameters to discriminate among the 10-, 25-, and 50-yearintervals. Dating accuracy was consistently higher in air than in nitrogen atmosphere. Using thermogravimetricparameters, predictive formulas capable of distinguishing the different dating intervals with high precision weredeveloped. The method achieved excellent performance to estimate 10-, 25-, and 50-year intervals in the airatmosphere, with areas under the ROC curves (AUC) ranging from 0.95 to 1.00. The results highlight thermogravimetric analysis as a promising technique for accurately estimating the time elapsed since toothextraction in human teeth stored under controlled conditions.
PB Elsevier
YR 2026
FD 2026-04-09
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/46409
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/46409
LA eng
NO Rubio, Leticia, Alba Delgado-Ruiz, Diego Lozano-Peral, Juan Suárez y Stella Martin-de-las-Heras. "Thermogravimetric Analysis: A New Tool for Dating Human Teeth." Forensic Science International 385 (2026): 112965.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2026.112965
NO This research was supported by IBIMA Plataforma-BIONAND, Grants Numbers: PIE25–01 and EMG21–001, European Starting Grant: The Social Life of Dead Bodies (SOLID; GA. 101163677) and by the University of Malaga, Spain, CTS1073. Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Malaga  / CBUA.
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 4 may 2026