Forensic odontology uses dental evidence to assist in legal investigations and identifications. It applies dental knowledge to civil and criminal matters like identifying victims of disasters or suspects from bite marks. Teeth are very resistant to environmental factors and provide reliable identification through their individual characteristics like restorations, shapes, and DNA. Forensic dentists can analyze bitemarks left on victims or objects to match suspects' dental patterns and make positive identifications by comparing dental records and remains.

1. Dr. noorah murad
B.D.S . D.D.S.
Lecture 15

2. • Forensic: derived from the Latin word forum which means court of law
• Odontology: study of teeth.
• Forensic odontology (FDI): branch of dentistry which in the interest of
justice , deals with proper handling and examination of dental evidence,
and presentation of dental findings.
• Forensic odontology: application of dental and Para dental knowledge to
the solution of legal issues in civil and in criminal matters.

3. Assist in particular investigation by police for:
I. Civil – noncriminal identification:
1. A living person.
2. An individual remains.
3. Victims of major disasters.
II. Criminal identification of:
1. Person from their teeth.
2. Bite marks on food stuff, assailant or victim.

5. • Dentition and finger prints form the most scientifically reliable
identification methods due to their individuality.
• Dental identification , like finger print, is a definitive means of
positive identification of unknown human remains.
• Dental evidence tend to survive much better than does soft
tissue evidence.

6. • Teeth are calcified structures and are the hardest substance in the
human body, even harder than bone.
• They are resistant to the environmental effects that destroy soft
tissue evidence.
• Teeth are not destroyed by immersion in water or by desiccation, or
by decomposition
• In addition the dental restorations are frequently completely intact.

7. The dentist may help with problem involving:
 Aging: dentition is one of four systems used in
age determination:
1. In children: pattern of teeth eruption, root length,
teeth wear.
2. In young adults: development of third molar.
3. Older adults: attrition, gingival recession, periodontal
disease, formation of secondary dentin ….etc

9.  Gender: determination of gender can proved
after catastrophic events such as fire and can
be assessed from:
1. Skull shape and form (no gender differences regarding teeth
morphology).
2. Sex or Y- chromatin presence or absence (pulp tissue).
3. Development and eruption of teeth. (early in girls)
4. Mandibular canine size.

10.  Race: can be assessed from
1. skull shape and form.
2. Anatomical characterization.
3. Cusp number.
4. Leong’s premolar (6 and 7 cusp)
5. Shovel shaped incisors.
 Socio-economic status and geographical
factors:
1. Endemic fluorosis.
2. Dental carries.
3. Type of dental restorations.

12.  Defined as: a mark made by teeth alone or in
combination with other oral structure
 It is the most common dental evidence used in
criminal court.
 Bites are common in violent crime and child
abuse.
 Bite marks can be found on:
1. The victim (by the attacker).
2. The attacker (suspect) when the victim attempts to
defend himself.
3. An object found at the crime scene.

15. 1. Human bite marks include an elliptical or ovoid pattern
containing tooth and arch marks.
2. Composed of two U shaped arches that are separated
at their bases by an open space.
3. Identify specific type of teeth by its characteristics
(incisor marks are rectangles, canine marks are
triangles, premolars are triangles, circles or diamonds).
4. Injuries by teeth range from bruises to scrapes and
cuts or laceration or avulsion of tissue.

16. Collection of bite marks evidence falls in to several
categories:
 Demographic description of bite mark:
1. Location.
2. Shape.
3. Color.
4. Size.
5. Type of injury.

18.  Collection of evidence from victims by:
1. Photographs: both colored and black-and white films.
2. Saliva swabbing: collection and analyzing of saliva that
deposit on skin during bite
▪ A sample of whole blood must be collected from victim to
assess DNA
▪ Recently saliva isolated from objects (chewing gum, cigarette
butts, postage stamps).
3. Impression: BM analyzed by making cast from fabricating
impression of bitted surface.

19.  Collecting evidence from suspect by:
1. Clinical examination: extra and intra oral exam (dental
health, occlusion, mobility of teeth, fracture …etc )
2. Photographs: facial and profile photographs, frontal and
lateral view, of the teeth in occlusion.
3. Study cast of the teeth to record all characteristics of
dentition
4. Occlusion of suspect, by taking bite sample in centric
using wax.
5. Saliva is also collected from DNA testing.

20. 1. The distance from cusp to cusp.
2. The shape of the arch.
3. The evidence of a tooth out of alignment.
4. Teeth width and thickness, spacing between teeth
5. Missing teeth.
6. The curves of biting edge.
7. Unique dentistry.
8. Wear patterns such as grinding.

22. 1. Where the bite mark was found.
2. The damage on soft tissue.
3. The time dependent changes on the bite mark
on living bodies.
4. Poor in technique of bite mark registration.

23. Defined as: a procedure by which data concerning an
individual unknown are shown to match data concerning a
known missing person to such an extent the forensic
dentist compares ante mortem (before death) records with
postmortem (after death) finding to determine if there is a
positive match.

24. 1. Dental restoration: type , unusual fracture, root
canal therapies
2. Dental prosthesis
3. Palatine rugae
4. shape, form,
5. Lip print: unique in a manner similar to finger print.
6. Dental DNA

26.  Teeth represent an excellent source of DNA material,
because of the resistant nature of dental tissue to
environmental assaults such as:
▪ Incineration
▪ Immersion
▪ Trauma
▪ Mutilation
▪ Decomposition
 New technology that may replace dental finger print
identification
 the coronal pulp chamber and radicular canal are the
target for DNA sampling.