Question:medium
Which of Gustafson's parameters is the most accurate?
Which of Gustafson's parameters is the most accurate?
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The root dentine change that appears after age 30 is the most reliable criterion.
Updated On: Jun 24, 2026
- Attrition
- Periodontosis
- Root resorption
- Transparency of the tooth
Show Solution
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: The question asks which of the six dental changes used by Gustafson gives the most dependable age estimate.
Step 2: Gustafson studied six features that change with age in adult teeth: wear of the crown (attrition), gum recession (periodontosis), laying down of secondary dentine, build-up of cementum, resorption of the root, and increasing transparency of the root dentine.
Step 3: Among these, the rise in root transparency is judged the most trustworthy. It begins around 30 years and grows steadily because minerals progressively fill the dentinal tubules, turning the dentine clear in a predictable way.
Step 4: The other features are swayed by outside factors: chewing habits and food hardness affect attrition, oral hygiene affects periodontosis, and root resorption can be disease-driven, so they are less accurate. Therefore transparency of the tooth is the answer.
\[\boxed{Transparency\ of\ the\ tooth}\]
Step 2: Gustafson studied six features that change with age in adult teeth: wear of the crown (attrition), gum recession (periodontosis), laying down of secondary dentine, build-up of cementum, resorption of the root, and increasing transparency of the root dentine.
Step 3: Among these, the rise in root transparency is judged the most trustworthy. It begins around 30 years and grows steadily because minerals progressively fill the dentinal tubules, turning the dentine clear in a predictable way.
Step 4: The other features are swayed by outside factors: chewing habits and food hardness affect attrition, oral hygiene affects periodontosis, and root resorption can be disease-driven, so they are less accurate. Therefore transparency of the tooth is the answer.
\[\boxed{Transparency\ of\ the\ tooth}\]
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