the value of panoramic radiography in gender specification of edentulous iranian population

introduction: gender specification among the forensic dentistry and human anthropology, is mainly based on anatomic variations. due to racial differences and environmental factors such as time of tooth extraction, osteoporosis, dietary habits, usage of dental prosthetics and periodontal diseases, there will be different results achieved. the purpose of this study is to classify the gender specification in edentulous patient by using anatomical variations in panoramic radiography. methods: panoramic radiographs of a population including 45 men and 45 women which were aged between 51 to 79 years were assessed and statistically analyzed. results: analysis of data demonstrated that the average of measured distances in male were significantly higher than female except for the distance between the two mental foramina. it should be signified that the accuracy of gender specification with this method was ranged between 78 to 84.5 percent in female and between 80 to 89 percent in male. conclusion: the method of this study can be used as a quantitative technique along with other methods of gender specification. furthermore, this study has been illustrated as one of the most significant approvals for the existence of sexual dimorphism in iranian population.