Midterms

• Odontology

  • Study of teeth
  • Branch of dentistry and forensic medicine which in

  the interest of justice, deals with the proper

  handling, examination, evaluation and

  presentation of dental evidence and findings

  • Integral part of forensic science
• Odontology


  • A routine procedure when identification is

  necessary

  • Plays a major role in identification in man-made or natural disaster
• Events that result in multiple fatalities

  that may result to victims being not

  identifiable through conventional

  methods such as finger prints.

  Relies on:

  1. Sound knowledge of teeth and jaws

  possessed by dentist

  2. Incorporates dental anatomy, histology,

  radiography, dental materials and

  developmental anomalies
• The earliest known example of identification by dental means dates back to 66 AD

  Elaborate dental records including radiographs and spare crowns identified the body of Adolf Hitler (a German general), the most high- profile case of dental

  identification.
• Delve into:

  1. Identifying unknown human remains through dental records

  2) Assisting at location of mass disaster

  3) Eliciting the ethnicity and assisting in building up a picture of lifestyle and diet of skeletal remains at

  archeological sites.

  4) Determining the gender of an unidentified individual

  5) Age estimation of both the living and the deceased

  6) Recognition and analysis of bite marks found on

  victims of attack

  7) Presenting evidence in court as an expert witness
• Branch of forensic dentistry chiefly concerned with:

  1. Identification of dead and living individuals

  2) Age estimation through the teeth and jaws
• Oral Pathologist

  • May help the police, court and general pathologist through:

  1. Dental charts and records which may show:

  ✓ Anomalies in tooth form, shapes and

  number

  ✓ Defects from occupation and habits

  ✓ Lesions produced by accidents, crimes

  and nervous habits

  2) In identification of individuals, the ff. are also

  taken into considerations:

  ✓ Changes after death (rigor mortis,

  livor

  mortis and algor mortis)

  ✓ Investigation of teeth fragments and

  restorations
• DIVISIONS:

  A.Civil or non-criminal

  ✓ Malpractice and fraud

  ✓ Neglect

  ✓ Identification if individual remains or victims of aircraft or train disaster or fire in public building

  ✓ Age estimation

  ✓ Identification of a living person due to loss of memory (if a person has dementia or alzheimer’s disease)

  B. CRIMINAL ✓ Identification of dead and living individuals from their teeth. (victims and suspects)

  ✓ Bite marks on food stuffs, on assailant and on victims (self-inflicted or inflicted by another)
• Identification

  • Establishment of a person’s individuality/ identity
  • Required for legal and humanitarian reasons
  • Help in settlement of property, facilitate remarriage of a surviving spouse and allow cremation or burial of the body, accdg. To relevant religions and cultural customs
• Traditional Methods of identification

  • Visually recognizing body
  • Use of personal property such as clothing, jewelry etc.
• Visually identifying a burnt or decomposed body can be a very traumatic experience for relatives and friends, the better option of identification is for the forensic expert to analyze physical features present in the body
• Physical features

  • Mole
  • Birthmark
  • Tattoo
  • Scar
• Physical features are prone to change over time, finger prints are exceptions but like other soft tissues, undergo post-mortem change
• Being the strongest structure present in the body, dental hard tissues are resistant to post-mortem decomposition
• Most materials used by dentists for restoring teeth are also resistant to post mortem destruction
• Dental materials resistant to post-mortem destruction

  • Amalgam
  • Crowns
• The use of dental evidence is the method of choice in establishing the identity of badly burnt, traumatized, decomposed and skeletal remains
• Process of Identification

  1. Examination and recording of all details of an unknown body and living person

  2. Clinical examination - visual exams, xrays, impressions, models and photographs

  3. Microscopic examination -teeth and body tissues

  4. Chemical examination -stains (blood, food, chemicals)

  5. Collection of information of a sinister character from missing persons

  6. Matching of data obtained from the body with the record of the missing person
• Importance of Identification

  • Satisfy the relatives as to the fate of their kinsman
  • Satisfy the requirements for a death certificate
  • To be able to search for the murderer
• 1. Used on bodies with no trace as to their identity because their body appearance has been altered by: deterioration, mutilation, or deliberate disfigurement
• Reconstructive group

  Techniques used to identify living individuals suffering from loss of memory from attacks, shock, or old age
• 3. Uses the following to bring out identification:

  • Age
  • Sex
  • Height
  • Race
  • Occupation
• Comparative group


  Techniques used in determination and confirmation of identity of individuals
• Sassouni (1963) suggested 2 groups of techniques in determination and confirmation of identity of individuals: Reconstructive group and Comparative group
• B. COMPARATIVE GROUP

  1. Done after R.G. gives probable identity.

  2. Matches ante-mortem with post-mortem records to make a positive identification.
• ANTE-MORTEM FINDINGS

  1. Designed for listing any information that may be obtained from relatives, friends and/or physicians of the possible victim or missing person and that may assist in an identification, in order to compare that information with the data obtained from the dead bodies on the disaster site.
• ANTE-MORTEM FINDINGS

  B. Most accurate are the dental records that includes: X-rays showing:

  1. Metal fillings,
  2. Root canal fillings,
  3. Wound scars from
  4. apicoectomy and extraction wounds
• POST-MORTEM FINDINGS

  1. Designed for listing all obtainable data about a dead body that may assist in its identification in order to compare that data with the information obtained at the place of residence of the possible victim or missing person and recorded on the ante- mortem form.

  ✓ Dead individuals are recognized by their teeth

  and denture.

  ✓ Living individuals' physical characteristics and dental records can be used to identify a person.
• BASIS FOR DENTAL IDENTIFICATION

  1. Human dentition is never same in any two individuals
  2. The morphology and arrangement of teeth vary from person to person
  3. Teeth are relatively resistant to environmental insults after death
• DENTAL IDENTIFICATION PROCEDURES

  TWO FORMS:

  1. Comparative identification: comparing the dead individual's teeth with presumed dental records of the individual
  2. Reconstructive identification (dental profiling): Attempts to elicit the ethnicity or "race" gender, age and occupation of the dead individual. Undertaken when virtually no clue exists
• COMPARATIVE DENTAL IDENTIFICATION

  INCLUDES FOUR STEPS:

  Step 1: oral autopsy

  Step 2: obtaining dental records

  Step 3: comparing post mortem and antemortem dental data

  Step 4: written report and drawing conclusion
• Oral Autopsy

  • Also known as necropsy or post mortem
  • It has a systematic protocol starting with critical examination of the external features of the body such as: gender, ethnicity, built, wounds, Scars, tattoos and body piercing.
  • Photographs, radiographs, fingerprints, finger

  nail scraping and hair sample may be obtained

  according to the requirements
• Oral examination


  • Essential part of postmortem procedures
• Forensic dentist conducting oral autopsy


  • Should have adequate knowledge about common postmortem findings such as: rigor mortis, livor mortis, decomposition and postmortem artefacts
• Rigor mortis


  May render the jaw and the use of mouth gags or intra oral myotomy is essential for jaw separation
• Examination of teeth in burned cases

  Prior to examination, they need to be reinforced with cyanoacrylate cements, polyvinyl acetate or clear acrylic spray
• Access for radiology in incinerated bodies


  Obtained by removing tongue and contents of floor of mouth in a 'TUNNELING' fashion from beneath the skin
• Oral Autopsy

  ✓ Oral examination is an essential part of postmortem procedures

  ✓ A forensic dentist who conducts oral autopsy should have adequate knowledge about common postmortem findings such as: rigor mortis, livor mortis, decomposition and postmortem artefacts

  ✓ Rigor mortis may render the jaw and the use of mouth gags or intra oral myotomy is essential for jaw separation
• Oral Autopsy

  ✓ Since teeth may be brittle in burned cases, prior to

  examination, they need to be reinforced with

  cyanoacrylate cements, polyvinyl acetate or clear acrylic spray

  ✓ Access for radiology in incinerated bodies can be

  obtained by removing tongue and contents of floor of mouth in a 'TUNNELING' fashion from beneath the skin

  ✓ The status of each tooth whether intact, carious,

  restored or missing should be carefully noted
• Obtaining Dental Records

  FROM:

  a.Treating dentist

  b. b. Specialist

  c. c. Hospital records in the form of: Dental charts,

  Radiographs, Casts, and/or Photographs