Dental Exam

Forensic Odontology
Teeth and Bite Mark Evidence

What is a Forensic Odontologist?
Most forensic odontologists are practicing
dentists.
However, they have gone through
specialized training to understand how to
apply forensic science to dentistry.
Most are members of a
professional organization.
The Importance of Forensic
Odontology
A forensic
investigation of
teeth will help to
determine:
• -Individual
Identification
• -Mass Disaster
Identification
• -Bite mark analysis
• -Dental Malpractice
An Understanding of Teeth
• Teeth begin to appear at 6 months of age and all
should have emerged by age 3.
• Humans have 20 deciduous (baby) teeth.
• Between the ages of 7-21 years all of the
deciduous teeth should have been replaced with
permanent teeth.
• Adults have 32 permanent teeth. This includes
the four wisdom teeth.
• Teeth are the hardest substance in the body.
Age Chart for Deciduous and
Permanent teeth
Teeth Numbering System
• Teeth are
numbered from 1
to 32 starting from
the upper right (1),
to upper left (16),
down to lower left
(17) to lower right
(32).
The 4 types of the Teeth
• The 4 types of teeth:
• Incisors
• Canines
• Premolars
• Molars
The 5 Surfaces of the Teeth
• Each tooth has 5
surfaces:
– M – mesial (front)
– D - distal (backside)
– O - occlusal (biting
surface)
– F – facial (cheek side)
– L - lingual (tongue
side)
Tooth Composition
Identification using Teeth
Many times identity of a skeleton can be
determined by comparing the teeth
features in the skull to dental records.
Unusual features including the number
and types of teeth and fillings, the spacing
of the teeth, and/or special dental work
(bridges, false teeth, root canals) help to
make a positive identification.
Example of a
Dental Record
• Today, most people
have a dental record.
• Dental records have
information about the
condition of each tooth
and this information is
compared to the
postmortem report.
Dental Work That Makes Teeth
Unique
Dental Crown Dental

Fillings
Dental Work That Makes Teeth
Unique (cont)
Dental Dental
Postmortem Dental Information will
include any unique dental features
Lifestyle Effect on Teeth will also
help to identify the body
• First, the antemortem
(before death) and
postmortem (after
death) X-rays are
compared.
• Next, the investigator
will look for other
lifestyle indications
from the teeth. For
example, smoking.
Example of
X-ray
comparison.
Example of X-ray Comparison
Lifestyles and Teeth
• Mouth of a • Mouth of a Meth
smoker user
Dentures
• There are cases
where the victim no
longer had teeth and
wore dentures.
• Records are also kept
for dentures so this
dental appliance is a
very good source.
Cases of Identification using Teeth
• The first case – Roman Emperor Claudius
to recognize his beheaded mistress.
• First U.S. Court case- in 1849 the
incinerated remains of George Parkman
were identified using a partial denture.
• First case using dental records- identified
the victims of the Vienna Opera House fire
in 1878.
Cases of Identification using Teeth
• In more recent times, teeth identification has been used
in mass disasters such as plane crashes, fires and
bombings.
• Approximately half of the victims from the September 11,
2001attack on the
World Trade Center
were identified using
DNA, jewelry and
dental records.
Bite Mark Evidence
• Forensic
odontologists will also
work on cases that
involve bite mark
evidence.
• Bite marks are found
when teeth are used
as weapons.
Bite Mark Evidence
• Bite mark evidence is controversial
because skin is elastic and distortable.
• The accuracy of this evidence is often
questioned by the court.
• Many bite mark cases are overturned.
• However, this evidence is very helpful in
excluding suspects.
• Many times the saliva on the bite mark
allows DNA analysis.
Ted Bundy
• The Ted Bundy Case
is a very famous bite
mark case. Bundy
had a very unusual
bite and was
convicted on this
evidence.
Ted Bundy and his teeth configuration
that caused the unusual bite

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Forensic Odontology

Teeth and Bite Mark Evidence

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