#forensic dentistry

[magnetothemagnificent]

I keep seeing this in fiction and it drives me bonkers. Guys. Guys. You can't use dental records to identify someone if there aren't any dental records to speak of from before the person becomes a Doe. Dental identification works by comparing the state of a Doe's teeth to existing dental records of potential matches. Such as, if there were dental records for a man named John Smith that show he had a filling on one of his molars, and a John Doe has a filling on that same tooth, comparing Doe to the records would be an extra line of evidence towards identifying the Doe. But if the Doe never had any dental work done, or if none of those records were saved, dental identification is impossible.

[forensic-facts-blog]

Day 32 - Forensic odontology (also called forensic dentistry or bitemark evidence expertise) mainly involves the identification of an assailant by comparing a record of their dentition (set of teeth) with a record of a bite mark left on a victim.

Forensic dentists (odontologists) examine the development, anatomy and any restorative dental corrections of the teeth, such as fillings, to make a comparative identification of a person.

In death cases, the forensic odontologist attends the autopsy and takes photographs, cranial measurements, dental impressions and x-rays from the remains. These samples are then compared to those of known missing individuals. If a match can be made, the remains can be identified.

There are several types of bite marks that are categorized by four degrees of impression:

hemorrhage — small bleeding spot

abrasion — undamaging mark on skin

contusion — ruptured blood vessel, bruise

laceration — punctured or torn skin

incision — neat puncture of skin

avulsion — removal of skin

artifact — bitten-off piece of body

More than just homicides, forensic odontologists may handle:

Identification of unknown human remains through dental records.

Assisting at the scene of a mass disaster.

Age estimations of both living and deceased persons.

Analysis of bite marks found on victims of attack.

ID of bite marks in other substances e.g. wood, leather and foodstuffs.

Analysis of weapon marks using the principles of bite mark analysis.

Presentation of bite and weapon mark evidence in court.

Building a picture of lifestyle and diet at an archaeological site.

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[tearsofrefugees]

Syrian refugee’s breakthrough in identifying war victims

Rawad Qaq’s work in forensic dentistry comes after fleeing his homeland in 2015

[bloodlazzarus]

on researching into forensic dentistry, i was reading through a reddit thread and have concluded that this is the level of insight we need in 2017

[strangeremains]

It literally started with a witch hunt: A history of bite mark evidence

On May 4, 1692, the Rev. George Burroughs was arrested in Salem, Massachusetts on suspicion of witchcraft. The only physical evidence against Burroughs were bite marks found on some of the girls he was accused of recruiting to join him. Summarizing the research of historians on the ordeal in an article for the February 2014 newsletter of the New York State Dental Association, William James Maloney writes that at trial, “the defendant’s mouth was pried open and the prosecution compared his teeth with the teeth marks left on the bodies of several injured girls present in the courtroom.”

Read more at the Washington Post

[tmohzone-blog]

[I]t is considered unethical to bite a human for study in the United States.

"Forensic Dentistry" on Wikipedia