FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY

CONTENTS
• Introduction (Definition)
• History of Forensic odontology /India
• Aim of forensic odontology
• Personal identification methods
• Dental Identification
• DNA identification
• Palatal rugae identification
• Dental Profiling
• Crime Investigation by Bite marks, lip prints
• Denture marking
• Forensic in disaster management
• Case reports
• Recent advances forensics
• Conclusion
INTRODUCTION
• Forensic Odontology or Forensic Dentistry is that branch of forensic medicine
which, in the interest of justice, deals with the proper handling and examination of dental
evidence and with the proper evaluation and presentation of the dental findings. - Kieser-
Neilson (1970)
• Dr. Oscar Amoedo was considered as the father of the forensic odontologist. The
thesis done by him entitled 'L' Art Dentaire en Medicine Leagale' to the faculty of
medicine earned him a doctorate. This book is the first comprehensive text on forensic
odontology.
HISTORY
• Garden of Eden – Eve convinced Adam to put a bite mark in apple. The history of bite
mark evidence (forensic dentistry) began with the eating of forbidden fruit by Adam in
the Garden of Eden.
• 66 AD - Emperor Nero’s wife, who was identified after her death through unique
arrangement of her teeth. Nero’s mistress Sabina ,got Nero’s wife killed by her soldiers
and demanded to see her head in a dish (identified by a black anterior tooth)

• 1193 - First forensic identification in India – Jai Chand, a great Indian monarchy was
destroyed by Muhammad’s army. His body was identified by his false anterior teeth.
• 1758 - Peter Halket was killed during French and Indian war in a battle near Fort
Duquesne. Halket son identified his father’s skeleton by an artificial tooth.
• 1775 - Paul Revere – identified victims of a revolutionary war by their teeth; Also,
identified the body of Joseph Warren by identifying a walrus tusk used as a pontic for
missing maxillary canine.
• 1897 - Dr. Oscar Amoedo – Paper titled - The role of the Dentists in the identification
of the victims of the catastrophe of the Bazar de la Charite, Paris in 4th May, 1897 .The
bodies of those killed in the fire were brought to the industrial place for dental
identification.
• 1977 - Bodies of Hitler and his wife Eva Braun – identified using dental records with
radiographs and prostheses. Finally, remnants of a bridge were identified in the pieces of
Hilter's jaw because of the unusual form of reconstruction and evidence of periodontal
diseases.
• 1985 - Forensic examination of biological samples - application of the ABO blood
group system for human identification .Jeffreys et al - investigated radioactive molecular
probes that could identify certain highly sensitive regions of DNA that processed a type
of DNA “fingerprint” (determining immigration problem).
• 2001 - World trade center disaster in the U.S.A on September 11, 2001 - Deoxyribo
Nucleic Acid (DNA) extracts from tooth brushes of the victims were used in
identification of some victims
INDIA
• May 21, 1991- Rajiv Gandhi Assassination.
• It compared with the assassination of John F Kennedy of USA.
• In the investigation out of 18 bodies, 17 bodies inclusive of Rajiv Gandhi body were
identified.
 • The one body of dismembered parts which was correlated with skin, absence of body
hair, same nail polish color on fingers and toe nails, and finally concluded that it was a
female, who was the human bomb.
• Dr. P. Chandrasekaran, Director, Tamil Nadu Forensic Science Laboratory, Madras-
stated that DNA found in the charred muscle pieces and the skull on the suicide bomber,
Dhanu showed identical pattern
VEERAPPAN IDENTITY
• The trademark of Veerappan was the handlebar moustache on his face, which was
missing when he was shot dead by Special Task Force personnel in Dharmapuri District
of Tamil Nadu.
• Experts of forensic - confirmed by the study of the external ear.
• Dr. P. Chandrasekaran, studied the structures of the external ear from ante and
post-mortem photographs of Veerappan, compared them and confirmed that it was
sandalwood smuggler
AIM OF FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY
• Total of all characteristics of teeth and their associated structures which, while not
individually unique, when considered together provide a unique totality - Acharya and
Taylor
• Eliciting the ethnicity/population affinity
• Age estimation in both the living and dead
• Presenting evidence in court of law as expert witness
• Analysis and investigation of bite marks, found on human tissue, animal tissue, and
inanimate objects/foodstuffs
• Assisting the sex of skeletonized remains.

PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION

AGE
Estimate by Development Of Skull And Bone

SEX
Skull Shape – Males Larger Skull With Sqaure Orbit, Females-smaller ,Round Skull With
Minimal Supra Orbital Ridge And Vertical Forehead

SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS
Quantity / Quality And Presence / Absence Of Dental Treatment
 OCCUPATION
Carpenter – Characteristic Groove by Holding Pin between Teeth

DIETARY HABITS
High Alcoholic - Erosion of Teeth

ANCESTARY BACKGROUND
Determine Race between Three Groups – Skull Appearance – Caucasoid , Mongoloid ,
Negroid

DENTAL IDENTIFICATION
• Human dentition are never the same in any two individual
• Morphology and arrangement of teeth vary from person to person
• Although teeth are relatively resistant to environmental insult after death, during life they
are susceptible to physiologic and pathologic change.
• 2 forms of post-mortem dental identification.
i) Comparative Dental Identification , ii) Reconstructive Identification.
COMPARATIVE DENTAL IDENTIFICATION
• Oral Autopsy
• Obtaining dental records
• Comparing post mortem and Ante-mortem dental data
• Writing a report and drawing conclusion
Dental evidence such as dental caries, missing teeth, restored teeth, prosthesis, alterations in
shape of teeth such as taurodontism, talons cusp, developmental defects such as amelogenesis
imperfecta, dentinogenesis imperfecta, changes in colour of teeth like dental flurosis collected
from human remains is compared with previous records for establishing identity of the decedent.
ORAL AUTOPSY
Autopsy – necropsy or post-mortem examination – involves examining deceased with
dissection to expose the organs to determine the cause of death.
Systematic Protocol- Critical Examination of external features of the body
- Sex, Ethnicity, Build, Wounds , Scars , Tattoos , Body piercing.
Oral examination:
- Rigor mortis , Livor mortis , Decomposition ,Post-mortem artefacts
• Griffiths & Ballamy - Radiography of the incinerated bodies – obtained by removing
tongue and contents of floor of the mouth “tunnelling fashion” beneath the chin;
• A thorough examination of soft tissue injury, paraoral hard tissue fractures and presence
of foreign bodies undertaken;
• All information pertaining to body – entered into modified Interpol post-mortem
odontogram/dental form
Comparing post and ante-mortem dental data
• Following post-mortem examination and transcription of ante-mortem data 2
odontograms are compared.
• Acharya and Taylor – single point of concordance between post and ante-mortem data –
sufficient to establish identity - considering course, uniqueness of such a feature and
circumstance of the case;

WRITING A REPORT AND DRAWING CONCLUSION

Ante - and Post mortem dental data match with each other
Positive Identity proven beyond reasonable doubt (radiographs)
Identification

High level of concordance between the 2 sets of data; lack R/G support
Probable Cannot confirm identity
Identification

Post and ante-mortem data agreement – but available information insufficient in

quality
Possible Neither permit a definitive identification nor enables identity to be excluded
Identification

Post and ante-mortem data clearly inconsistent

Excluded Data – unexplainable differences that comprehensively indicate mismatch
Identification

Available information minimal or insufficient to draw any conclusion on the

Insufficient identity of the deceased
Information
DENTAL DNA
DNA amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
- Hair from the comb
- Epithelial cells from a toothbrush
- Biopsy specimen
- Facilitates comparison with known biological antemortem sample of the decedent
If decedent’s antemortem sample unavailable – DNA Pattern compared to the
parents or sibling – facilitating positive identification
If the failure of dental methods, fingerprint, physical methods , DNA identification should be
examined
Types of DNA
• Genomic or nuclear DNA -: Located in the nucleus of the cell
• Mitochondrial DNA
Extraction of DNA:
- Tooth pulp –best source of dental DNA.
- Ajayprakash et al. – isolated DNA from dental pulp and accurately determined
personal identity using HLA-DQ amplification;
- Cryogenic grinding – for DNA Extraction (Cryogenic grinding – tooth needs to
be completely crushed)
Factors related to DNA identification
• Type of tooth
• Condition of tooth prior to extraction (Decay)
• Condition of tooth following trauma
• Age
• Time of extraction to isolation of DNA
• Short Tandem Repeats (STR) - Identify hypervariable regions of DNA,
• The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)- Amplification of the restricted regions of the
human genome.
• The recent advances in gene analysis techniques, sex determination methods using X and
Y chromosome DNA analysis have been evolved.
• STR - This type of DNA analysis works to examine individual areas in DNA, In criminal
investigations, there are thirteen regions that are analysed and compared to establish
profiles.
• The chances of two people having the exact same thirteen regions is virtually impossible
- likely one in a billion.
• Extraction of nuclear DNA from cell - Certain regions of the DNA Amplified by the
PCR - Gel electrophoresis to find out how many repeats of the STR sequence exist.
(Different dyes are used, which might be fluorescent dyes or alternately, silver staining
could be used to provide the necessary visual assessment of the DNA).
Is profiling India’s DNA
• India will be among the last large countries to adopt a DNA profiling or fingerprinting
(also called DNA typing or testing) Bill. DNA profiling is a forensic technique used to
identify individuals by characteristics of their DNA..
• A typical adult has over three billion characteristics in her DNA and only about a dozen
characteristics (13 to be precise) are required for a DNA profiling database. A technique
called the Short Tandem Repeat (STR) analysis is most widely used in forensic analysis.

• 1985 - Alec Jeffreys, UK, first developed DNA profiling along with Peter Gill and David
Werrett.
• The UK today maintains DNA profiles of nearly 7% of its citizens, representing the
largest population proportion in the world
• Largest DNA database was set up by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The
database contains more than 12 million offender profiles, more than 2.5 million arrestee
profiles and 750,000 forensic profiles.
DNA Based Technology (Use and Regulation) Bill, 2017 
• Only for identification
• DNA Profiling Board – Monitoring DNA lab
• DNA data bank - Stroage of DNA profile
• Penalties – Imprisonement- 3years
RECENT METHODS IN GENETIC IDENTIFICATION:
Microarray techniques:
- The nucleic acids of the target are hybridized to high-density microarrays containing
several thousand oligonucleotides immobilized on chips or beads
- Use: Sequencing and resequencing, identification of the individual
Next generation genome sequencing:
- Permits analysis of several hundred loci or even the entire genome by producing
enormously parallel sequencing.
- used for both genome and transcriptome analysis
PALATAL RUGAE IN FORENSIC
• The rugae pattern on the deceased’s maxilla or maxillary denture – compared to old
dentures recovered from decedent’s residence or treating dentist.
• The pattern of these rugae can be used as definitive method in post-mortem cases and is
considered special to an individual.
• Palatal rugae in every individual maintain the shape and consistency throughout life
• Rugae patterns are unique to every individual; seldom change shape with age and
reappear after trauma or surgery;
• Palatal rugae resist decomposition;
• Primary Rugae - > 5mm
• Secondary Rugae - 3-5mm
• Fragment Rugae -< 3mm
• Straight , Curved , Wavy , Circular

ANALYSIS OF RUGAE PATTERN:

• Using digitalized images of the palate on which characteristic points were plotted on the
medial and lateral extremities of all rugae
• 97% accuracy in identifying individuals in a mock ante- and postmortem comparison of
palatal rugae;
• Calcorrugoscopy - Macroscopic analysis of the rugae patterns present on patient casts
,Comparative analysis
• Stereophotogrammetry - special device called Traster Marker - determination of the
length and position of every palatal rugae.
• Nayak et al. suggested that rugae patterns are also useful in identifying an individual’s
race or ethnicity.
• Straight rugae - among southern Indians,
• Curved rugae - among western Indians.
• Caldas et al. there are slightly more rugae in males and on the left side in both genders.
RECONSTRUCTIVE DENTAL IDENTIFICATION - DENTAL PROFILING
Includes extracting a triad of information – The decedent’s
• ETHNIC ORIGIN,
• GENDER
• AGE;
DENTAL PROFILING
Identifying the ethnicity from teeth:
- It is possible now a days to identify an individual’s ethnic origin from their dentition
status
- Dental features used to describe population differences:

SEX DIFFERENTIATION:
- Morphology of skull and mandible
- Tooth measurements & DNA Analysis of teeth
- Sex determined from necrotic pulp tissue stained by Quinacrine mustard for fluorescent
Y chromosome (teeth of males).
- Amelogenin or AMEL is a major protein- Female has two identical AMEL genes
whereas the male has two different AMEL genes.
- Maxillary sinus width , length by CT

Whittaker et al. found the method slightly less reliable than they had claimed but were still able to
determine sex in about 70% of cases.
Dange et al. have claimed that sexing is possible up to 4 years after death.

1) VISUAL METHOD
Different in tooth size
Canine Dimorphism.
2) MICROSCOPIC METHOD
Barr body & DNA analysis
3) ADVANCED
PCR & Amelogenin
DENTAL AGE ESTIMATION

Pre-natal, neonatal and Children and adolescents Adults

early post natal Schour and Massler’s method Gustafon Method
Dry weight of mineralized tooth Dentin Translucency (Lamendin
cusps Demirjian’s method method) Root transparency
Neonatal line Age estimation from incemental
lines of cementum.
Ratio between D-Aspartic acid
and L aspartic acid

INDICATORS OF AGE:
• Beyond young adulthood the problem becomes considerably more difficult.
• Six criteria of ageing in individual teeth was developed by Gustafson:,
• Attrition , Amount of secondary dentine and cementum , Root resorption , level of
Periodontal attachment , Dentin translucency.
• Age – (11.43+ 3.63X) years
• The degree of error using this method lies somewhere between + 3.7 years and + 7 years
depending upon the experience of' the investigator.
AMINO ACID RACEMIZATION
• Amino acid two different configuration ( D or L)
• Living organism keeps L configuration , if organisms dies control over the configuration
ceases , and the ratio of D and L moves from a value near 0 towards an equilibrium value
near 1. it is called racemization.
• Helfman and bada first suggested , age estimation by aspartic acid racemization
• Accurate within ± 3 years of actual age.
AMELOGLYPHICS:
• Tooth prints are pattern formed by the enamel rod ends at the crown surface of the tooth;
• Manjunath et al. recorded enamel rod pattern using acetate peel technique;
• Involved left maxillary canine and first premolar in 30 male and 30 female volunteers –
categorized tooth print into 8 patterns – showed no teeth had similar pattern.
• Enamel rod pattern - Showed gender variations
• Aid in person identification.
DISADVANTAGES DENTAL IDENTIFICATION
• Discrepancy if person had additional dental treatment in time interval between the dates
of antemortem and postmortem dental records
• Poor quality of antemortem records , if Patient treated in emergency basis with no record
• Inability to locate and obtain suitable antemortem records
• Deceased person is not of same area
• Large variety of tooth nomenclature in different parts of the world
BITE MARKS IN CRIME INVESTIGATION
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND CHILD ABUSE:
• Child abuse is a non-accidental trauma tried on a child by a caretaker - the head and
facial areas are frequently offended
• In abuse cases, human bite marks are mainly seen and followed by other injuries;
• Bites from adults will often only mark one arch while a child who has bitten will
frequently mark with both arches
• The WHO differentiates four types of violence; Sexual, Neglect, Physical and
Psychological.

Females – Breast, legs (inner part of thigh) – sexual assault

Children – Genitals, Oral and paraoral regions (Child abuse)

Adult Males – Finger, arms and shoulders –During fight

BITE MARKS:
A mark caused by teeth either lone or in combination with other mouth parts.
CLASSIFICATION:
CAMERON AND SIMS:
Agents – Human ,Animal
Materials - Skin, Body Tissue ,Food stuff , Other Materials
MACDONALD’S: Tooth Pressure , Tongue Pressure , Tooth Scrape
By variation in arch alignments and specific tooth, morphology helps in animal bites are
usually distinguished from human bite injuries.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HUMAN AND ANIMAL BITE:
Characteristic Human Animal
Arch Size and Shape Broad, U-Shaped; Circular Narrow anterior aspect, V
or Oval shaped and elongated
Teeth Broad central and narrow Broad laterals, narrow
lateral incisors; more blunt centrals; sharper, longer
canines
Injury Pattern Bruising; laceration and Severe laceration and
avulsion less common avulsion; greater skin
damage
Site Breast, abdomen, nipple, Extremities such as feet,
thigh, back, shoulder legs, hands, arms; exposed
skin

• Human bites are elliptical or circular injury

• Incisor – Rectangular
• Canines – Triangular
• Premolars & Molars – Spherical or point shaped
• Individual features include, Rotations, Dental work , Diastema, Fracture

•
The shape of
curvature
Bite marks analysis by Kouble and
• No of tooth marks
Craig
• Horizontal &
Vertical diameter
• Depth of
depression
• Distances between
two teeth
• Orientation of each
tooth

DIRECT INDIRECT
The model of suspects’ teeth is compared to a Use of transparent overlays to record a
life size photograph of the actual bite mark. suspect’s biting edges by free-hand tracing the
Direct comparison is made between dental occlusal surfaces of a dental model onto an
models, photographs or finger print powder lift acetate sheet
models.
 The “fingerprint powder lift” technique involves dusting the bitten skin with fingerprint
powder
and using fingerprint tape to transfer the bite marks onto a sheet of acetate.

BITE MARKS EVIDENCE COLLECTION FROM VICTIM:

- Case Demographics
- Visual Examination: Orientation and Location , Type , Colour, size and shape , Contour,
Texture , Difference between upper and lower arch
- Photograph:
1) Orientation Photographs: (depict location of bite mark on the body)
2) Close-up Photograph:

SALIVA SWAB:
• Saliva deposited in the skin may have WBC and sloughed epithelial cells - source of
DNA - enable direct link to suspect
• Methods of detection of dried saliva stains:Chemicals and enzymes , Lasers and
ultraviolet light , Fluorescent spectroscopy
IMPRESSION
• Vinyl polysiloxane , dental acrylic & plaster

Analysis of drugs of abuse in saliva

• Peel et al. found measurable quantities of drugs in saliva analysed by immunoassay

technique and gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry.
• Recently, Securetec (Ottobrunn, Germany) introduced Drugwipe, a non-instrumental
immunodiagnostic assay for the detection of drugs on surfaces

BITE MARK ANALYSIS:

 • DEFINITE BITER
• PROBABLE BITER
• POSSIBLE BITER
• NOT THE BITER
3D/CAD Supported
Metric Analysis Direct Method Indirect Method
Photogrammetry

• Incisal or • Equipment
• Simple occlusal Intensive
• Suspects
instruments edges of • Image
model –
like vernier suspect’s perception
directly
calliper or teeth traced technology
placed on
computer into clear • Additional
bitemark
software acetate and colouring of
photograph or
• Copared with super images, pseudo
on bite mark
suspect’s imposed on three dimension
itself
dental model bite mark imaging all of
photograph which improves
accuracy.

LIP PRINTS (CHEILOSCOPY):

• The use of lip prints was first recommended in 1932 by
Edmond Locard in France
• Tsuchihashi et al – Classification include 5 types
• They are developed and visualized using agents such as
aluminium powder and magnetic powder
• Wrinkles and grooves visible on lips (sulci labiorum
rubrorum) & Imprint produced by these grooves – lip
print
• Although lip print identification has been utilized in
court in isolated cases.

•  Usually at crime scene lip prints are usually found, which can provide a direct link to the
suspect.
• Lipsticks have been developed in recent years that do not leave any visible trace after
contact with the glass surface, clothing or cigarette butts.
• They are referred as persistent lip prints for the permanence. However, they are invisible;
they can be lifted by using materials such as aluminum powder and magnetic bonds
DENTURE MARKING
Scratching or engraving an identity mark onto the
surface of the denture using a spirit based pen before
Surface Marking covering them with a denture based acylic.

Use of paper, onion skin or label which are included

into the denture base prior to polymerisation
Inclusion Methods

•It has been shown that even prosthesis like dentures can be used to identify deceased
individuals - denture marking
• The identification mark should be specific ,be simple & should be fire and solvent
resistant.
- Victims of fatal accidents, misplaced dentures in hospitals, nursing homes, as well as
patients suffering from any psychiatric problems such as traumatic or senile loss of
memory
FORENSIC IN DISASTERS
• Involves examining and comparing of hundreds, thousands of ante- and post- mortem
data
• According to Clark, 50% of identification in disasters are from dental evidence;
• Division of dental section:
 COMPARISON AND IDENTIFICATION
• Manual or Computer aid
• Computer software programmes – IDENTIFY, ODONTID, CAPMI, IDIS;
Recently “Plass Data DVI System Internationale;
• These programmes- sort data, bring down the number to few likely post and
antemortem data;
• Final identification done manually.
ANTEMORTEM UNIT
• No common system of tooth numbering around the world;
• Restorations are named by the letter of tooth surface involved;
• Regional dental association to implement standardized code for various tooth
surfaces
• Locating dental records of victim (communication with police, dentist and
relatives of victim)
POSTMORTEM UNIT –
• At disaster site, a sketch to be made of the scene
• Location of body recovered – noted
• Definitive dental examination- after photography, finger printing and medical
autopsy
• Unit responsible for processing the radiographs; photography of teeth
• Teeth and Jaw specimen removed from the body and labelled.
• The four main steps are there; finger printing, body tagging and bagging, forensic
pathology, and forensic dentistry.
• Forensic dentistry team was sub-divided into two parts; dental examination and dental
radiology.
• Prosthodontist can play an important role in forensic dentistry team
DISASTERS – TSUNAMI
• Transport accidents –Dental identification required;
• Aircraft accidents - Fire and trauma are severe;
• Dental examination confounded – heat and flames have fragmented tooth enamel, and
soot and smoke have been deposited on teeth;
• The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami is probably the most eminent example on the success of
Forensic Odontologists in identifying large number of victims in short time. More than
92% of non-Thai is been identified out of which 80% were identified by dental
formation. 
AIR CRASH
• It occurred in which all the passengers died along with the crew at the distance about 8
miles away from the coast of California.
• All the bodies except a few were fragmented. Out of 88 victims, eighty-five was
identified, and 65 persons were eventually identified by conventional means.
• Conventional means include the routine examination, dental comparisons, tattoos and
fingerprints. 23 victims were identified by DNA testing.
• Many fragment of the body was found by the fisherman, navy and the use of fishnets.

• Post-mortem dental identification in disasters in India - natural accidental or man-made

disasters such as floods, tsunami, earthquake, train and bus accidents, airplane crashes,
and terrorist attacks;
• Neither the Disaster Management Act of 2005 nor the National Policy on Disaster
Management of 2009 have any reference to identification of post-mortem human
remains;
• “3.5% dentists in India - contributed to identification of victims in disasters;
• 91.9% of dentists - were willing to share records for the purpose of identification of
victims in disasters, if approached”
Case 1: Mangalore flight crash
• An Air India express plane IX812 at Mangalore Airport on May 22, 2010 - killing 158
persons and 8 passengers were survived. This was a closed type of disaster, in which the
information of victims involved Can easily be retrieved from the flight manifest.
Case 2 - On December 28 2013, an AC coach of the Bengaluru Nanded express train caught fire
during the early hours near the Anantapur district of AP. It was a closed disaster. 26 people,
including two children, were Killed in the fire. The bodies were so charred that only Nine of
thevictims have been identified by visual means. For remaining bodies, authorities conducted
DNA tests.
Case 3: Bengaluru-Hyderabad bus accident. 45 people, including an infant were burnt to death
when a bus caught fire on October30, 2013. It was a closed disaster. Three bodies which were
partially burnt were visually identified by the relatives and for those which were not visually
identified, were sent for DNA testing, which almost took up to 2 weeks of time to come up with
identification.
• Case 4 - INS Sindhurakshak disaster – submarine –fire on the board, 18 crewmen who
were on board at that time. The bodies were sent for post-mortem after taking the records
of dental patterns from the bodies. The patterns were matched with the archived dental
records to expedite identification of bodies. It was closed disaster. he bodies which were
severely burned were also sent to DNA identification
RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Procedures for identification of victims in disasters based on dental methods must be
included as standard operating protocols in disaster management plans
• The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) - include a core group of
dentists who are qualified/experienced in procedures related to post-mortem dental
identification.
• Dental radiographs (preferably OPG ) of all Indian citizens applying for a passport must
be made mandatory and be archived by/with the NDMA for easy retrieval for comparison
with post-mortem remains of victims in disasters
• Victims’ remains must be released to families only after confirmative identification using
one of the three scientifically accepted methods, viz., fingerprints, DNA, and dental.
Gingival Tissue Changes: Dead individuals showed vacuolation of nuclei, Autolysis
Langerhans Cells: Inversely with the degree of keratinization
Cementum In Age Determination: Determination of age from cemental incremental lines was
evaluated in intact teeth
Gingival Marginal :The marginal tissue recession of the periodontium
Dental Pulp - Size of the dental pulp cavity is
reduced as a result of secondary dentine deposition
IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF SOLDIERS:
- For every soldier a series of medical tests are performed and samples collected to keep a
detailed record of the recruit in the database for any future referral.
- The samples that are usually kept as record include the DNA and figure prints of an
individual.
Dental records recommended:
- Orthopantomogram (OPG) – first line identification before DNA Analysis
- Impressions of the dental arches and castes - prepared and preserved Also from these
prepared dental castes, the incisal edges are marked and then scanned. Further, for every
individual the overlay of these edges can be digitalized and preserved
IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF TERRORIST:
- During arrest - complete dental records and samples taken
- These records made available on the INTERPOL network from other countries for proper
identification of the criminals and updated from time to time

Impersonating face and figure prints is easy but it is nearly impossible to impersonate the dental
record. Indian court - Decision on juvenility of Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the lone survivor of
Mumbai terror attacks of 26/11;The court had ordered a radiologist and forensic dentist to
examine Kasab, and it was proved that he was not a juvenile.

DENTAL FORENSICS TO DEATH SENTENCE

DELHI GANG RAPE CASE
• First time in the Indian history of criminal prosecution in India, dental forensics has
played a vital role in providing evidence leading to death sentences.
• Forensic dentist was able to link two of the accused to the crime. It was done by
comparing the arrangement of the teeth with the bite mark which is left on the poor
young victim.
• It was stated by a dental expert that photographs of bite mark seen on the victim and
structure of the dentition of the two accused proved with some accuracy. Totally, six men
were arrested, and one among them were juvenile.
FIRST USE OF DENTAL EVIDENCE IN A COURT CASE
• Use of a dentist as an expert witness was well documented in 1814 in the case of Mrs.
Janet Mc Alister in Scotland.
• A lecturer of anatomy Dr. Granville Sheep Pattison and two of his students was charged
at the high court in Edinburgh for the violation of Mrs. Mc Alister grave.
• They have moved the body of Mrs. Alister after the burial to the nearby college. It was
found by dental evidence in the form of the maxillary denture that was found in the heads
in the dissecting room.
• Dr. James Alexander, Mrs. Alister's dentist, was the witness for the prosecution. He
tested that a set of her denture fit in only one of the head in the dissectionroom. 
ORGANIZATION FOR FORENSIC
• American Society of Forensic Dentistry (1970)
• International society for Forensic odonostomatology(1976)
• Indian association of Forensic odontology (2007)
• British association for Forensic odontology
 • In November 2004, a 25 year old female was examined following an alleged sexual
assault.
• Injuries included severe bruising to the face, arms and back. In the mid-scapular position
there was a semi-circular bruising pattern measuring approximately 30 x 45 mm,
exhibiting the class characteristics of a human bite. Biological swabs and photographs of
the injury were taken.
• Arch width, for both upper and lower casts, was consistent with the injury, Tooth 41 was
displaced labially and tooth 33 rotated disto-lingually.
• However, moderate crowding of the lower anterior teeth is not uncommonly seen in
Australian dentitions and the frequency of occurrence of these tooth positions in the
population is unknown. The suspect could clearly not be excluded as the perpetrator. It is
for a jury to decide if he did indeed inflict the bite.
FINDINGS
1. The injury is consistent with an adult, human bite. It is not in a position to be self-
inflicted.
2. It is not possible to exclude the suspect
3. There are significant concordant features between the pattern injury and the spatial
alignment of the teeth of the suspect.
4. This bite mark case demonstrated quality evidence of good probative value charges
against the suspect were withdrawn five days later by the victim, citing “he really loves
me”.
RECENT CONCEPTS IN FORENSIC DENTAL IDENTIFICATION
• Facial reconstruction
The cranial appearance is very much helpful in determining the sex of the individual.
Computerized facial reconstruction method uses a laser video camera interfaced with a computer
or with CT scanning. Skull data are then imaged as a fully shaded 3D surface. The face can be
drawn with the help of computer software. Although exact picture of the face may not be made,
this method splendidly helps in identifying the individual.
• Comparison microscopes
Virtual Comparison Microscope (VCM). The comparison microscope is a device which
helps in analyzing the specimens simultaneously.
• Tongue prints
Antemortem photograph or impression of the tongue should be available. Tongue
biometric template can be made using three views such as left lateral view, right lateral view, and
profile view
RECENT ADVANCES IN FORENSICS
• There should be computer data base for all dental records to make access to records
easier for those who need including Forensic Odontologists.
• CAD-CAM systems - used to construct a 3D-image of an object that has been bitten into
by scanning the object; The CAD-CAM system stores all the information and can be used
to “draw” up a picture of the dentition that made the bite.
• A new system that combine two and three-Dimensional technology into a hybrid product
is more advanced than its forebears. Ex: Bullet Trax-3D and Brass Trax -3D systems.

• Ballistics Analysis introduces ALIAS32 technology - consists of an enhanced Apple

MacPro computer and an interferometer which measures variances as small as 2
 microns (about 1/50 of a human hair) and creates a mathematical model or digital
clone.
• The use of Autosomic mini STR Multiplex Genotyping, it is possible to obtain genetic
profiling are smaller than the STRs used in standard typing
CONCLUSION.
• For dental identification to be successful, ante-mortem data need to be available. This
relies heavily on dental professionals recording and keeping dental notes, radiographs,
study models clinical photographs…etc
• The concerned authorities (IDA and DCI) are requested to
- Evolve an approach so as to make record maintenance mandatory for all practicing
dentists , Introduce the subject of forensic odontology as a separate branch in the field of
dentistry.

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