Forensic dentistry is not a branch of dentistry, but it is a branch of forensic medicine that was first introduced by Dr. Oscar Amoedo who is considered the Father of Forensic Odontology. Forensic dentistry is concerned with the examination and evaluation of damaged bodies in catastrophic accidents where the corpses are unidentified. Since the enamel, which is the outer coverage of the teeth (fig.1), is known to be the strongest structure in the human body, teeth are not damaged easily.
The dental field has witnessed various advancements that have allowed forensic odontologists to use such armamentarium for criminal investigation purposes. Teeth can provide access to DNA, which acts as a fingerprint, and can be extracted from the pulp of the tooth, which is the inner core of the tooth. Not only DNA can act as a fingerprint, but also enamel rod patterns, which are unique to each individual as identified in (fig. 2).
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Fig.1: Layers of the tooth.
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Fig.2: Enamel rod patterns representing the tooth print of each individual.
Recently, radiographs can be used in forensic dentistry by comparing the postmortem with the antemortem. Although this method is beneficial, it can be in vain if the dental records are missing.
Studying the mandibular ramus (lower jaw structure) and the mastoid process can be used to distinguish whether the body is related to a male or a female. Also, the eruption phase of the teeth can be used to guess the age as shown in Fig.4.
Fig.3: The age the teeth emerge through the gum.
In some cases, the criminals might have their bitemarks left on the skin, soft tissue, food, or clothes at the criminal scene. Such bitemarks can be used for further investigations to identify the criminal.
The role of forensic dentistry has paved the way for identification of corpses that cannot be identified using traditional means. This is because of the unique nature of dental anatomy and the presence of dental restorations that ensures the accuracy when proper techniques are used.
References
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Verma, A. K., Kumar, S., Rathore, S., & Pandey, A. (2014). Role of dental expert in forensic odontology. National journal of maxillofacial surgery, 5(1), 2–5. https://doi.org/10.4103/0975-5950.140147
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Shebah, C., Sheethal, A., Harshita, B. R., Preethi, P., & Prasanna, R. K. (2022). A Review on Bite Marks in Forensic Dentistry. Austin Journal of Dentistry, 9(1), 1167.
semanticscholar.org
Manjunath, K., Sriram, G., & Saraswathi, T.R. (2008). Enamel rod end patterns: a preliminary study using acetate peel technique and automated biometrics.
advanceddentalarts.ca
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Girish, K., Rahman, F. S., & Tippu, S. R. (2010). Dental DNA fingerprinting in identification of human remains. Journal of forensic dental sciences, 2(2), 63–68. https://doi.org/10.4103/0975-1475.81284
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British Dental Journal (Br Dent J). (n.d.). ISSN 1476-5373 (online) ISSN 0007-0610 (print).
Cover image source.