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TEETH IN FORENSICS

Learn about the major role of teeth in forensic dentistry, including human identification and bite mark analysis. Discover how dental records and postmortem dental profiling are used to compare and identify individuals. Explore age estimation, race assessment, and sex determination through dental characteristics. Understand factors of individualization such as trauma, dental pathology, dental variation, dental treatments, and dental modification.

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TEETH IN FORENSICS

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  1. TEETH INFORENSICS Desiré Brits School of Anatomical Sciences Room 2B07

  2. Overview FORENSIC DENTISTRY Human identification Bite mark analysis Comparative identification Postmortem dental profiling Dental records Forensic anthropology Age Race Sex FOI

  3. Forensic dentistry • Major role of teeth in forensic dentistry • Human identification • Bite mark analysis • Why study teeth • Most durable structure in the human body • Enamel is one of the hardest biological substances • Easily recognized, thus routinely recovered

  4. Human identification COMPARATIVE IDENTIFICATION POSTMORTEM DENTAL PROFILING Antemortem dental records are unavailable No clues as to the identification of the deceased Compile a postmortem dental profile • Establish if deceased remains and antemortem records represent same individual • Compare postmortem dental remains with antemortem dental records (written notes, casts, radiographs)

  5. Comparative identification • Compare • Similarities • Discrepancies • Explainable • Unexplainable • Numerous and complex dental treatments = easier identified

  6. Comparative identification • Conclusions that can be made include: • Positive identification • Antemortem and postmortem = sufficient data match • Possible identification • Antemortem and postmortem data = consisted features • Insufficient evidence • Insufficient information • Exclusion • Antemortem and postmortem = inconsistent

  7. Dental records • Developing countries • Unemployed individuals • No dental care • Dental care = expensive • No access to facilities • No dental records • Migrating workers • International (local) • No dental records • Illegal immigrants • No dental records • No continuous care • Outdated records • Visit various dental facilities

  8. Postmortem dental profiling • Provide information: • Age • Ancestry • Sex • Factors of individualization • Trauma • Tooth loss • Dental pathology • Dietary habits • Socio-economic status • Dental variation • Dental treatment • Dental modification / mutilation • Habitual behaviours and/ occupation

  9. Age estimation • Mammals • Two sets of teeth • Deciduous (or milk teeth) • Deciduous dental formula 2:1:0:2 = 20 • Permanent teeth • Adult dental formula 2:1:2:3 = 32 • The development and eruption is fairly consistent • Particularly in immature individuals • Tooth formation begins in utero for: • Deciduous teeth • First permanent molar teeth • Rest of the dentition • Develops after birth

  10. Population affinity • Race assessment from teeth are not easy! • Not race related: • Root numbers • Congenital absence of third molars • Asian dental complex • Shovel shaped incisors • Shorter roots • More occlusal enamel pearl in premolars • Frequently fused molar roots • Extra distolingual root on 1st and 3rd molars

  11. Population affinity • European dental complex • High frequenciesof Carabelli’s cusp • An extra cuspid on the mesiolingual surface of upper molars • African dental complex • First mandibular molar • 5-cusped with a Y-shaped groove • 4th molars!

  12. Sex determination • Sexual dimorphism in dentition is variable • Sexing teeth alone = risky • Discriminant function analysis • Accuracies between 88 - 95 % • ♀ teeth = smaller • Mesio-distal diameter • Misclassification more common in males

  13. FACTORS OF INDIVIDUALIZATION • Features unique to an individual • Reduces population pool • Positive identification • TRAUMA • Motor vehicle accidents • Pedestrian accidents • Fights • Antemortem tooth loss

  14. FACTORS OF INDIVIDUALIZATION • DENTAL PATHOLOGY • Dental caries • Abscess • Periodontal disease • Enamel hypoplasia • Socioeconomic stature • Dietary habits

  15. FACTORS OF INDIVIDUALIZATION • DENTAL VARIATION • Abnormal tooth number • Hyperdontia • Hypodontia • Abnormal tooth size • Macrodontic • Microdontic • Dental crowding • Impacted teeth

  16. FACTORS OF INDIVIDUALIZATION • DENTAL TREATMENTS • Dental crown • Dental bridge • Braces

  17. FACTORS OF INDIVIDUALISATION DENTAL MODIFICATION • Old practice • Rare • Very noticeable • Groups/tribes association • Categories: • Filing • Chipping • Extraction • Decoration with inlays • Practice of dental decoration arose in the Preclassic • Persons 15 yrs and older • Filling • Mainly in females • Incrustation • Mainly in men

  18. tooth extraction • South African modification: • Tooth extraction • Some or all incisors • 2nd decade of life • Male and female • “Passion gap” • “CAPE FLATS SMILE” • Gang sign • Early 1980’s

  19. Dental modification • Modern South African modification • Dental inlays • Upper central incisors • Middle class individuals • HABIT OR OCCUPATION • Pipe-smoker’s wear M Steyn, EN L’Abbé, M Loots; 2004

  20. Bite mark analysis www.greggoldendds.com/bites1.htm

  21. Summary • Human identification • Comparative identification • Dental records • Postmortem profiling • Sex determination • Race determination • Age estimation • Factors of individualization • Suspect “identification” • Bite mark analysis

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