forensics odontology in dentistry

1. FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY

2. Contents
• Introduction
• Historical events
• Scope and purpose
• Dental identification procedures
• Identification in mass disasters
• Identification from dental DNA
• Sex determination
• Palatal rugae
• Bite marks
• Lip prints

3. Cont….
• Dental age estimation
• Child abuse
• Ameloglyphics
• Dentist as an expert witness
• Conclusion

4. References
• Dentistry for child and adolscent – dean- Mc Donald
& Avery’s
• Cameron widmer textbook of Pediatric Dentistry.
• Pinkham Text book of Pediatric Dentistry
• Text book of Pediatric Dentistry – S.G Damle
• Oral and maxillofacial pathology – Neville Damm
Allen bougual.
• Shafer’s textbook of oral pathology.
• Woelfel’s – dental anatomy – Ricknec Shield, Gabriela
weiss.

5. INTRODUCTION
• It’s the area of dentistry concerned with the correct
management , examination, evaluation and
presentation of dental evidence in criminal or civil
legal proceedings in the interest of justice.
• It provides an important community services in both
the civil and criminal jurisdictions.
• Forensic dental services are of value both in
investigations and in clinical forensic medicine for
evaluation of living victims of sexual assault ,child
abuse and other domestic violence cases.

7. “what a nightmare !.... Bodies as of Negroes –
blackened, heads carbonised, shrunk & reduced to
nothing, but only the teeth remained”
Dr Oscar Amoedo
“ Father of forensic odontology”

8. HISTORICAL EVENTS
• In 45-70 AD at Rome the dental finding being used as
evidence first time in forensic manner where king
Nero had killed his mother who was identified by
two canine teeth .
• Similarly in 1477 , the body of Charles The Bold(last
valois duke of Burgandy) was identified on the basis
of several missing anterior teeth.
• King William , 1066 AD is supposed to be the 1st to
use bite marks for identification.

9. HIGH PROFILE CASES
• TED BUNDY was identified from a bite mark.
• Elaborate dental records including radiographs and spare
crowns identified the body of Adolf Hitler.
• In the year 1857 , at Paris the very famous burn incidence at
Bazaar de chirite where about 125 parisians were attending
the ball was published as the first text of a mass disaster on
forensic dentistry. Most of the bodies were identified by
practitioner Dr.Amedo.
• In 1967, a 14 yr old girl named Linda had bite mark , along
with other evidence which led to the conviction of a young
man.

11. SCOPE AND PURPOSE
• Identifying unknown human remains through comparison of
postmortem dental evidence with dental records of the
presumed deceased.
• Age estimation of both the living and deceased.
• Recognition and analysis of bitemarks found on victims .
• Determining the gender of an unidentified person / individual.
• Identification of victims in mass disasters.
• Presenting evidence in court as expert witness.

12. Parameters to be compared
• Teeth
• Prosthetic appliance – briges , partial denture , crown
, complete denture .
• Restorations
• Shape , form (morphological) pecularities.
• Genetic anomalies.

15. Various methods/techniques in Identification
• Visual recognition by acquaintances
• Personal belongings
• Finger printing technique
• Dental identification
• DNA technique

16. Dental identification procedures
1.Comparitive identification
Steps
• Oral autopsy
• Obtaining dental records
• Comparing post and
antemortem dental data
• Writing a report and
drawing conclusion
2.Reconstructive identification
• It is also known as Dental
profiling.
• To elicit population , race ,
sex , age of dead individual
• Its done when virtually no
clue exists.

17. Oral autopsy
• It involves examination of deceased, usually with
dissection to expose the organs, to determine the
cause of death.
• It has a systemic protocol starting with critical
examination of external features of the body such
as gender, ethnicity, build, wounds, scars, tattoos.
• A thorough examination of soft tissue injuries,
fractures and presence of foreign bodies is
undertaken and samples of hard and soft tissues
may be obtained for further investigations.

18. • Common postmortem findings such as rigor
mortis, livor mortis, decomposition and
postmortem artefacts.
• All this information is entered on to the
standard “Interpol postmortem form” which is
color coded in pink

20. Obtaining dental records
• Dental records contain information of treatment
and dental status of a person during his/her
lifetime.
• Such records may be in the form of dental
charts, radio graphs, casts and/or photographs.
• The contents of all available dental records
should be transcribed onto the standard “Interpol
ante-mortem form” which is color coded in
yellow.

22. Comparing post and ante-mortem
dental data
• Once the post-mortem evidence and dental
records are available, the data can be
compared.
• Features compared include tooth morphology
and associated bony structures, pathology and
dental restorations.

23. Writing a report and drawing
conclusions
• One needs to remember that any attempt at
establishing identity is addressed to the legal
authorities
• Therefore, a detailed report and factual
conclusion, based on comparison, must be
clearly stated.

24. Acharya and Taylor have suggested a range of
conclusions, which include:
1. Positive Identification
2. Probable Identification
3. Possible Identification
4. Insufficient Information
5. Excludes Identification

25. Identification in mass disasters
• Disasters refer to natural calamities such as
earthquakes floods and tsunami and
accidental or man-made events as airplane
crashes/terrorist attacks that result in multiple
human fatalities.
• According to Clark, almost 50% of
identification in disasters are from dental
evidence.

27. • The interpol’s disaster victim identification guide
divided odontology into three sub-sections.(Vale &
Noguchi)
1. Postmortem unit
2. Antemortem unit
3. Comparison unit

28. -
Postmortem
Processing
radiographs,photogra
phy,personal
belongings,finger
printing. Preliminary
examination of the
mouth is made on-
site .
Dental examination is
usually done after
other procedures.
Transferred to
interpol postmortem
odontogram –
comparison unit
Antemortem
Most difficult part
Collects dental
charts,dental
photographs,x-
rays,plaster models
etc
Communicates with
family,friends,dental
office etc.
Transfered to
Interpol
antemortem
odontogram-
comparison unit
Comparison unit
Handles comparison
and confirmation of
identification
Antemortem and
postmortem dental
records are analysed
and compared either
manually or with the
help of a computer.
Final decision on
identification/verificati
on is done by the
chief.

29. Detection of composite resin restorations using an
ultraviolet light-emitting diode flashlight
during forensic dental identification.
The American Journal of forensic medicine and
pathology (2013)
Guzy , clayton.

30. • Various methods have been used to detect the
presence of composite resin restorations
including dyes, forensic alternative light sources,
quantitative light-induced fluorescence, and
ultraviolet lights.
• Although these methods may be helpful, the
expense of the equipment, the electrical
requirements, and the need for water to wash
the dye from the mouth may make these
methods impractical especially in a temporary
morgue situation during a mass disaster.

31. Conclusion
• The development of ultraviolet light emitting diode
flashlights has provided forensic odontologists with a
tool that is small, inexpensive, and battery operated.

32. Identification from dental DNA

33. Identification from dental DNA
• Since teeth can resist extreme conditions, they
are the excellent source of DNA.
• Routinely applied technique - polymerized chain
reactions allows amplification of even highly
degraded DNA.
• This facilitates comparison with the known
biological ante-mortem sample of the person
such as hair, epithelial cells from a tooth brush or
a biopsy specimen.
• If the person’s ante-mortem sample is
unavailable, the DNA pattern may be compared
to a parent or a sibling.

34. Sex differentiation
• Determining the sex of unknown human remains
is the second step in building a dental profile.
Gender can be determined based on:
1. morphology of skull and mandible.
2. tooth measurements.
3. DNA analysis from teeth
• Amelogenin (AMEL) is one of the major matrix
proteins secreted by the ameloblasts of the
enamel.

35. • The AMEL gene, coding for a highly conserved
protein, is located on X- and Y chromosomes in
humans.
• Thus the females (XX) have two identical AMEL
genes but the males (XY) have two non identical
genes.
• Preparing DNA from teeth by ultra sonification,
and subsequent PCR amplification, 100%
success in determining the sex of the individual
has been obtained

39. Palatal rugae in identification
• Useful in edentulous persons .
• Rugae patterns on the decedent’s maxilla or
maxillary dentures may be compared to old
dentures that may be recovered from the
decedent’s residence or plaster model from
dental office.
Classification of palatal rugae
1. PRIMARY RUGAE (>5mm)
2. SECONDARY RUGAE(3- 5mm)
3. FRAGMANTARY RUGAE (2-3mm)

40. According to shape
1. Straight
2. Curved
3. Wavy
4. Circular
5. Diverge
6. Converge

41. Rugae dimensions and their significance
in forensic dentistry.
Patil SB, Patil MS, Smita BR, Hebbar KG.
Journal of forensic dental sciences (2016)

42. AIM :To establish the reliability of using
the palatal rugae dimensions in identifying the
different ethnic groups.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
• A total of 60 subjects aged between 18-30 years
comprising of 30 Kannada speaking and 30
Malayalam speaking individuals, with 15 males and
15 females, in each were considered for the study.

43. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:
• The study showed a significant difference in
the palatal rugae dimensions among the
Karnataka and Kerala individuals.

44. Bitemarks
• A mark caused by teeth either alone or in
combination with other mouth parts ( Mac Donald ).
• May be inflicted by humans or animals , may be on
tissue, food items or other objects.
Human bite – Broad , U-shaped some what circular or
oval.
Animal bite - Narrow in the anterior aspect, v-
shaped & elongated also morphology of the teeth is
different.

46. Concept
• Each human dentition is unique ,differing even in
identical twins.
• Its imprint in skin can show this individualization making
identification possible.
• For this reason , bite marks have been referred to as
“dental fingerprints”.

47. Classification of bitemarks
• Cameron & Sim’s classification
1. Causing agents
Human
Animal
2. Materials
Skin,body tissue
Food stuff
Other materials

48. • Mac donald’s classification
Tooth pressure mark
Tongue pressure mark
Tooth scrape mark

50. Characteristics of human bitemark for
identification
• Includes an elliptical or ovoid pattern containing tooth & arch
marks.
• An arch mark may indicate the presence of 4 to 5 teeth marks
reflecting the shape of their incisal or occlusal surfaces.
• Other significant features to identify a bite mark
i. Presence or absence of each tooth.
ii. Peculiar shape of each tooth
iii. Mesio-distal dimensions
iv. Arch form and size
v. Relationship b/w the upper and lower jaws
vi. Any unusual features ,such as rotations,fracture teeth ,
supernumerary teeth , microdontia , diastema etc..

52. Bitemark analysis
1.Description of bitemark
• Demographic data
• Location of bitemark
• Shape
• Colour
• Type of injury

53. 2 .Collection of evidence from victim.
• Photographs
• Salivary swabbing
• Impressions
• Tissue sample
3.physical dental profiling of the questioned
evidence
4. Physical dental profiling of the know
evidence.(suspect)
Physical comparison of both of the above.

54. Investigations
• Preliminary questions
• Bite mark evidence collection from the victim.
Steps: 1.visual examination
2.photography
3.saliva swab
4.impression
• Evidence collection from suspect.

55. Physical characteristics to be studied are :
 Distance from cuspid to cuspid.
 Tooth alignment
 Teeth width, thickness, spacing
 Missing teeth
 Wear patterns including chips and grinding
 Crowns , filling.

57. Conclusions in bite marks analysis
1. Definite biter/ bite mark
There is reasonable medical certainity to indicate that the
bite mark has been produced by the suspect’s dentition.
2. Probable biter
Bite mark shows some degree of specificity to the suspect’s
teeth by virtue of a sufficient number of matching points.
Absence of any unexplainable discrepancies.
3. Possible biter
The bite mark & the suspects dentition are consistent.
4. Not the biter
The bite mark & the suspects dentition are not consistent.

58. Computer–based method of bite mark analysis: A
benchmark in forensic dentistry?
Journal of forensic Dental sciences – 2016
Nandita kotteith pallam, Keran boaz, Srikanth
natarajan
Aim : The study aimed to determine the technique
with maximum accuracy in production of bite mark
overlay.

59. • Thirty subjects (10 males and 20 females; all aged 20–30
years) with complete set of natural upper and lower
anterior teeth were selected for this study.
• The upper and lower alginate impressions were taken
and die stone models were obtained from each
impression; overlays were produced from the biting
surfaces of six upper and six lower anterior teeth by.
• Hand tracing from study casts
• Hand tracing from wax impressions of the bite surface,
• Radiopaque wax impression method,
• xerographic method.
These were compared with the original overlay produced
digitally.

61. RESULTS
Xerographic method was the most accurate of
the four techniques, with the highest
reproducibility for bite mark analysis.

62. Lip prints
• Tsuchihashi named the wrinkles and grooves
on the lips as “sulci labiorum rubeorum”.
• The imprint produced by these grooves is
termed ‘lip print’, the examination of which is
referred to as cheiloscopy.

63. I. Santos classification
SIMPLE WRINKLES
• Straight line
• Curved line
• Angled line
Compound wrinkles
• Bifurcated
• Trifurcated
• Anomalous

64. • Lip prints may be left at crime scenes and can
provide a direct link to the suspect.
Disadvantages
• Doubts about the permanence of the lip
groove pattern, while they are believed to
remain unchanged throught one’s life .
• Tsuchihashi stated – from the anatomic
position of lip grooves present on the zone
close to the vermilion – zone which is
extremely mobile.

65. • prints produced may differ in appearance
depending on the pressure applied & direction
of pressure , hence lip prints caused by one
individual may be mistakenly identified as
those from another.

66. Dental age estimation
• Final step in dental profiling.
Estimation steps.
1. Age estimation in prenatal,neonatal &early post
natal child.
 By use of histologial technique
 By radiograph-non invasive
 Neonatal line indicates a live births
 By dry weight of mineralized tooth.

67. 2. Age estimation in children & Adolscents
• Eruption and tooth calcification
METHODS
1.Schown & Massler method – its based on
histological section which permits direct comparison
with radiograph
2. Demirjan’s method – based on radigraphic
illustrations of tooth developmental stages,
3. 3rd molar in age estimation – valuable indicator in
the age group btw 16-23 years , but questionable
now a days due to great variation in genesis,
position, morphology & time of formation.

71. • Age estimation in adults
challenging when compared to young age groups as
numerous endogenous & exogenous factors such as
nutrition, physical strain influences.
METHODS
A. GUSTAFSON’s method : based on morphological
& histological changes of the teeth.
AGE = 11.02 + ( 5.14A ) + (2.3S) + (4.14P) + (3.71C) +
(5.57R) + (8.98T)

72. where,
A – Amount of occlusion attrition
S – Coronal secondary dentin deposition
P – Loss of periodontal attachment
C – Cementum apposition at the root apex
R – Root resorption at apex
T – Dentin translucency
Each regressive changes have seven grades ( 0 , 0.5,
1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 )

73. Attrition (A)
• A0—no attrition
• A1—attrition limited to enamel level
• A2—attrition limited to dentine level
• A3—attrition up to pulp cavity
Secondary Dentin (S)
• S0—no secondary dentin formation
• S1—secondary dentin up to upper part of pulp cavity
• S2—secondary dentin up to 2/3rd of the pulp cavity
• S3—diffuse calcification of entire pulp cavity
Periodontal attachment loss (P)
• P0—no obvious periodontal disease
• P1—beginning of periodontal disease but no bone loss
• P2—periodontal disease more than 1/3rd of the root
• P3—periodontal disease more than 2/3rd of the root

74. Root Translucency (T)
•T0—no translucency
•T1—beginning of translucency
• T2—translucency more than 1/3rd of the apical root
• T3—translucency more than 2/3rd of the apical root
Cementum Apposition (C)
• C0—normal cementum
• C1—thickness of cementum more than normal
• C2—abnormal thickness of cementum near the apex of the root
• C3—generalized abnormal thickness of cementum throughout the
apex of the root
Root Resorption (R)
• R0- no resorption
• R1- apical 1/3rd root resoption
•R2- apical 2/3rd root resorption
• R3- comlete root resorption

75. B .Dentin Translucency - Root dentine starts to
become translucent during the third decade (30s)
of life beginning at the apex and advancing
coronally.
• Root dentin starts to become translucent due to
the increased intratubular calcification. Therefore
dental root translucency increases with advancing
age.
• AGE = B0+B1X
where,
• B0 –regression constant
• B1-regression coefficient
• X-length of translucency

76. C. Age estimation from incremental lines of
cementum
• From acellular cementum incremental lines
• Made of mineralized unstained cross section of
teeth.
D. Radiographic method
• uses the pulp size measurement of six teeth.
• Measures the area of the pulp chamber / root
canal and the tooth area of canines on
radiographs and calculate their ratio.
• Based on age related secondary dentin
deposition.

77. CHILD ABUSE
• The non-accidental , physical , mental ,emotional, or
sexual trauma,exploitation or neglect endured by a
child younger than 18yrs of age while under the care
of a responsible person such as parent , sibling ,
baby-sitter, teacher, or person acting in local
parentitis.

79. Types of child abuse
• Physical abuse
• Educational abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Failure to thrive
• International drugging/poisoning
• Munchausen syndrome by proxy

80. Legal requirements
• Every state has legal statutes requiring that
suspected child abuse/neglect be reported to
authorities.
• Important to emphasize that one is required
to report suspicions of child maltreatment and
one need not have proof.

81. Reporting child abuse cases by dentists working
in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Al-Amad , Awad, Al-Farsi , Elkhaled
Journal of forensic and legal medicine (2016)
AIM : to assess the UAE dentists' experiences
in child abuse recognition, the factors that
prevent them from reporting suspicious cases
to authorities and their perceived training
needs.

82. • A closed-ended, self-administered questionnaire was
distributed to 350 dentists working in the UAE.
• Forty seven (25%) dentists reported encountering a
suspicious child abuse case at least once in their
career, but only 15 (32%) of those reported their
suspicion. Fear of making the wrong diagnosis was
the most frequent challenge hindering reporting and
dentists who demonstrated a need for specialized
training were more likely to express this fear

83. Conclusion
• The majority of UAE dentists do not report
their suspicion to authorities and specialized
training should be offered to build dentists'
capacity in diagnosing and appropriately
reporting suspicious child abuse cases.

84. Identification of possible child abuse
• Indicators of child abuse and neglect are those signs or
symptoms that should raise one’s suspicion of the
possibility of child maltreatment.
Physical indicators
• Unexplained bruises or welts in places not usually subject
to the child’s rough & tumble lifestyle.
• Unexplained injuries on face, mouth or lips ,bruises
clustering to form the shape of an article used to inflict
the injury.
• Bruises at various stages of healing

85. • Fractures of skull , multiple fractures of skull at
various stages of healing and fractures in children
younger than 2years should raise concerns.
• Burns – intentional cigarette burns , immersion burns
are readily distinguishable from accidental splash
burns.

87. Behavioral indicator
• with drawal, depression, poor school performance,
regression in developmentally appropriate behavior.
• Behavioral indicators may also be present in
caretakers.
• Poor judgement, jealousy or extreme protectiveness,
child abondment, violent behavior or erratic
behavior(drug or alcohol use or psychiatric illness)

88. Indicators of child neglect
• delay in seeking medical care for child’s obvious
injuries.
• Excessive use of medical care for an apparently well
child.
• Children whose basic needs for medical & dental
care, clothing, shelter, or education are not being
met may be victims of neglect.

89. Evaluation
• Trauma to orofacial structures is frequently
manifestations of child abuse.
• Studies indicated that the incidence is as high as
50%.
HISTORY
1. Thorough dental and general physical examination
2. Details regarding any trauma should be complete &
obtained separately from more than one source.
3. Open ended questions should be used.
4. Communication with the parent.

90. Physical examination
• Face, neck should be examined for periorbital
ecchymosis , sclera hemorrhage , ptosis, deviated
nasal septum,cigarette burns, slap marks.
• Presence of adult bite mark – suggestive of
physical/sexual abuse.
• Any bruise in the shape of an object,such as belt
looped cord , hand prick or hanger.
• Color of the bruises
• Rope of burns/bruises : attempted for strangulation

91. • Belt marks, electric cord marks, bruises / fractures of
ribs or clavicles
• Oral examination – torn maxillary frenum on a
immobile child can indicate trauma to the mouth
from a slap,blow or forced feeding.
• Torn lingual frenum , bruising of hard and soft palate
– sexual abuse or forced feeding.
• If evidence for ulceration & infection noted –
specimens should be cultured for evidence of
sexually transmitted diseases.
• Child presenting with extensive untreated dental
caries,infection,dental pain suspected as a victim for
physical neglect.

92. Management
• Clinical and medicolegal management of suspected
child abuse and neglect involve several basic steps.
1. medical and dental management
2. Documentation ( photographs )
3. Reporting
Treatment – providing medical and dental treatment
• Referral for pediatric history taking & physical
examination.

93. Documentation
• All data collected in medical history, physical
examination must be documented
• Actual comments and behavior should be recorded.
• Visible injuries – photographed along with child’s
name and date.
• When suspected maltreatment is reported to
authorities, the time, date & method of reporting
should be documented,

94. Reporting
• Dentist is obligated by law to report suspected case
of child abuse to authorities , failure to do so may
result in filing of civil or criminal charges against the
dentist.
• Does’nt need parental consent.
• Dentists are mandated to report based on
“reasonable suspicion” and they are not responsible
for any further investigations.

95. Parental concerns
• Parents must be told of the concerns about possible
child abuse / neglect and legal requirement to report
to authorities.
• Health care professionals should not make any
accusations about who may have caused the harm.
• Dental professionals has no obligation to inform the
parents that abuse or neglect is suspected or will be
reported.
• Major concern must be for the welfare of the patient
not about losing the patient.

96. Dentist as an expert witness
• The judicial system recognizes that people with
scientific background or specialized field that is
admissible under federal rules of evidence, can
provide the courts with analysis or explanation to
that discipline.
• They are qualified to testify by the judge, who bases
his or her opinion on educational background, dental
& forensic expertise, publications & other
professional qualifications.
• Dental experts asists attorneys,judges and juries in
understanding the scope & complexities of dental
science in relation to questions of law.

97. • In criminal court, dental expertise is requested in
identification of homicide victims and in bite mark
and human abuse cases.
• Role of dental expert is to help the jury understand
the dental issues in the case.

99. AMELOGLYPHICS
The study of the enamel rod end patterns is known as
Ameloglyphics (amelo-enamel; glyphics-carvings)
• The basic structural unit of enamel is the enamel rods
(enamel prisms).
• The uniqueness of these tooth prints may be utilized
as a successful identification tool in forensic science.
• Teeth - most indestructible components of the human
body → highest resistance to most environmental
effects like fire, desiccation and decomposition →
possible tool for personal identification of an
otherwise unrecognizable body

100. METHODS
• Teeth should to be scaled and polished. Central
region of the buccal/lingual surface chosen as the
representative area.
• Chosen area etched with 37% orthophosphoric acid
for 30 s.
• Rinse with water and dry the conditioned surface.

101. • A drop of acetone to be applied on to the tooth
surface and covered by cellulose acetate film and left
undisturbed for 20 min.
The tape was then pulled away gently and transferred
on a clean glass slide for microscopy.
• Slides are observed under light microscope attached
with digital camera

102. • The digital image is then subjected to biometric
conversion using fingerprint analysis software.
• The software recognizes and compares prints for
similarities & dissimilarities.
• Uses
• As an adjunct with other identification procedures
• Simple, inexpensive, rapid method.
• Comes to important in reporting antemortem dental
records of fire fighters,soldiers,jet pilots,divers.

104. Ameloglyphics: A possible forensic tool for
person identification following high
temperature and acid exposure.
Journal of forensic dental sciences – 2016
Juneja s , juneja m, rakesh m
AIM : To evaluate if the tooth prints could be used
for an individual's identification and
reproducibility and permanency of these tooth
prints after exposing the teeth to acid and various
degrees of temperature.

105. • MATERIALS AND METHODS:
• 90 tooth prints from 20 freshly extracted
maxillary premolar teeth were obtained.
Cellophane tape technique was used .Ten teeth
were immersed in 36.46% hydrochloric acid and
the tooth prints were obtained at various
intervals (5 min, 10 min, and 20 min).
• The other 10 teeth were incinerated and
impression was made at various intervals (80° C,
400° C, 600° C, and 750° C). Tooth prints obtained
from different teeth (total of 90 tooth prints)
were analyzed using Verifinger® standard SDK
version 5.0 software.

106. Results
• All the 20 original tooth prints were distinct from
each other and no inter-individual or intra-
individual similarity was found. The tooth prints
from the same tooth after it was exposed to acid
or heat were reproducible and showed high to
very high similarity with the original tooth print
of that particular tooth .
CONCLUSION:
• Tooth prints may be used as an effective aid in
person identification even in adverse conditions
such as burn and acid attack injuries.

107. Radiology in forensic dentistry
• Radiographs being non destructive method play a
vital role in forensic dentistry .
Uses:
1. Identification of Victims:
• Determine age of an individual by assessing the
stage of eruption of teeth.
• Skull radiographs can be used in identification by
superimposing on antemortem radiographs or
photographs

108. 2. Evidence in the identification of suspect:
Identifying fractured tooth parts of victims in
the body of the suspects.
3. To determine the cause of death: provide
evidence of bullets or foreign bodies.
4. To find faulty charting of teeth

110. Knowledge and awareness of forensic odontology
among dentists in India: A systematic review
Ghambir , Singh , Talwar.
Journal of forensic dental sciences - 2016

111. • A systematic review of relevant cross-sectional
studies was conducted regarding the level of
knowledge, awareness, and practical application
of forensic odontology among dentists in India.
• Only 12% of dentists were maintaining complete
dental records in the findings of another study.
• Only 4% of dentists reported to have contributed to
the identification of victims in a mass disaster in yet
another study.

112. • The findings of another study revealed that 40% of
dental practitioners did not have the expertise to
identify child abuse.
• The results of the present review showed that the
knowledge and awareness level of subjects was
inadequate and that there is considerable variation
in the practice of forensic odontology among
dentists.
• It is necessary to expose dentists to the basic
principles and techniques of the subject.

113. Dentist as an expert witness
• Expert witness is an advisor to the court and may
give opinions, draw inferences or interpret facts
about which the judge has special knowledge.
• A dentist may be required to testify in
malpractice cases, other criminal and civil cases.
In principle he should act only as an advisor to
the court and not an advocate of either side.
• Always simple and clear language should be
used.

114. Conclusions
• Forensic Odontology is the forensic science that is
concerned with dental evidence.
• The roles of any forensic scientist are to collect,
preserve and interpret trace evidence, then to relay
the results to the judicial authority in a form of a
report.
• Dental records that are used to provide patients with
optimal dental service could also be very beneficial
to legal authorities during an identification process.
• Therefore, all forms of dental treatments should be
recorded and kept properly.

115. Take home message
• Dr oscar amoedo is the father of forensic odontology.
• First evidence of forensic odontology was seen late at 45 AD.
• Teeth is most resistant to any physical changes , so it comes to
important in identification procedure during extreme
conditions.
• Every dentist should maintain a record of all the cases.
• Dentist should act only as an advisor to the court and not an
advocate of either side.
• Dentist is obligated to report to the authorities as when he
encounters any child abuse case.
• Always simple and clear language should be used.
• It is necessary to expose dentists to the basic principles and
techniques of the subject.