Sexual dimorphism in mesiodistal and vestibulopalatal diameters of permanent maxillary anterior teeth in a Peruvian mestizo population

Abstract Background Sex estimation is a fundamental pillar of human identification in forensic anthropology and odontology. When skeletal remains are fragmented, incinerated, or severely decomposed, teeth serve as highly resistant and sexually dimorphic biological indicators capable of preserving stable morphometric dimensions. Although odontometric standards have been described globally, population-specific data tailored to South American mestizo populations remain limited. This study evaluated sexual dimorphism in the mesiodistal (MD) and vestibulopalatal (VP) crown diameters of permanent maxillary anterior teeth in a Peruvian mestizo population. Results An observational, descriptive, prospective, and cross-sectional study was conducted on 108 dental stone casts (54 males, 54 females; age range 18–25 years) from Peruvian mestizo subjects. Coronal MD and VP diameters were recorded using a high-precision digital caliper (Mitutoyo, 0.002 mm) based on standardized measurement protocols. Data were analyzed using non-parametric Mann-Whitney U tests ( p < 0.05), and Garn’s formula was applied to calculate the percentage of sexual dimorphism. Males exhibited consistently larger crown dimensions than females across all evaluated maxillary anterior teeth. In the MD diameter, statistically significant differences were observed in teeth 1.3 ( p = 0.020), 1.1 ( p = 0.008), and 2.1 ( p = 0.030), with tooth 1.1 showing the highest MD dimorphism (4.4%). In the VP diameter, highly significant differences were recorded in teeth 1.3 ( p < 0.001), 2.1 ( p = 0.001), and 2.3 ( p < 0.001). The greatest overall sexual dimorphism across the anterior sector was observed in the VP diameter of tooth 2.3 (7.51%), with a mean sex difference of 0.60 mm. Conclusions Permanent maxillary anterior teeth display significant sexual dimorphism in Peruvian mestizos, with the vestibulopalatal diameter demonstrating greater dimorphic differentiation than the mesiodistal diameter. The permanent maxillary left canine (tooth 2.3) exhibits the highest magnitude of sexual dimorphism, providing valuable population-specific morphometric baseline data for forensic human identification.