## 4 Discussion  
To our knowledge, this is the first report of chronological age estimation using the pulp-tooth ratio of maxillary central incisors and canine and its predictive power using CBCT in a Saudi Arabian population. Reduction in the pulp chamber is directly proportional to chronological age [32]. Numerous pieces of evidence from different communities gave mixed results for the applicability of the pulp-tooth ratio method of age prediction [8; 19; 33; 34]. Hence, the present study explored the apposition pattern of dentin and the predictive power of maxillary incisors and canines in age estimation among Saudi individuals. Further, the reliability and suitability of the pulp/tooth area ratio tailored regression model for age determination in this population using CBCT teeth images were tested. The results of the study found that the incisors' overall mean PTR was higher than the canines in axial plane only (\(p<0.001\)). A negative correlation was demonstrated between the pulp-tooth ratio of incisors and canine teeth and age. Moreover, a significant correlation between PTR and age was established for all teeth examined except for canines in sagittal view. These findings can be used in forensic science for age estimation. The resistance of the tooth to environmental changes makes it an excellent material for this purpose [5; 35]. In adults, the way secondary dentin is laid off was found to be a good age estimation method [33]. However, evidence refutes that dentin deposition, to a larger extent, is influenced by environmental and genetic factors implying the role of racial and cultural factors in age prediction [7; 33; 36]. Therefore, a customized regression method of age estimation applied to the indigenous population regionally is recommended for estimating chronological age. Various methods have been experimented with for the reliability of age estimation. Among these methods, radiographic estimation of dental age is gaining keen interest due to its easy applicability, noninvasive technique, and cost-effectiveness [6; 18; 33]. In this study, measurements of PTR showed no significant gender difference. This result is similar to earlier studies on single-rooted teeth [12; 37; 38]. A study by [PERSON] [12] reported the assessment of chronological age by taking into account the pulp/ dentin area ratio at cervical region of the anterior teeth. It was found that dentin deposition on canine and premolar had a very good correlation with age (\(r=-0.83\) and \(-0.83\), respectively). Another study by [PERSON] et al. [37] used digital panoramic radiographs and AutoCAD software to estimate age from the pulp measurements of mandibular and maxillary canines. The results showed a significant but inverse correlation between these parameters. The values of upper canine were more accurate than the lower canine in estimation of age. [PERSON] et al. [38] calculated these pulpal measurements using a radiovisiography technique and found that these regression models, when used in individuals below 45 years of age, demonstrated superior outcome in age prediction. However, the findings of the present study contradict the work by [PERSON] et al. and [PERSON] et al. [39; 40]. In the study by [PERSON] et al. [39], the authors aimed to explore the relationship between the pulp/tooth ratio of incisors and age, using a linear regression model. The findings indicated that the regression equation accounted for a range of variance in age estimation, from 51.3% (in the case of lateral incisors with a mean error of 8.44) to 81.6% (upper lateral incisors with a mean age of 5.34 years). These outcomes suggest that while incisors may be less acceptable than other teeth studied, they can still serve as an