Estimating Living Age Using Stable Isotopes in Japanese Radicular Dentin

Abstract

We investigated the feasibility of estimating the living age of Japanese individuals and distinguishing sex on the basis of results from stable isotope analysis of stable carbon (¹³C) and nitrogen (¹⁵N) isotopes in radicular dentin. In this study, collagen fibers were extracted from the radicular dentin of mandibular second molars in Japanese individuals born between 1891 and 1964, and the carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values, respectively) were calculated. The results showed that regression formulae for δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values were highly reliable for estimating the living age of Japanese individuals, but no sex difference was evident. Use of radicular dentin thus has potential as a technique for estimating the living age of Japanese individuals, whose diet has changed greatly over the years.