Forensic Odontology DR Rizwan

Forensic
Odontology
FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY
By
Prof.Pervaiz A Rana
Deprtment of Forensic Medicine &
Toxicology
CMH Lahore Medical College
Introduction
 Forensic Medicine and Odontology deals with the
professional handling , examination, interpretation
and presentation of medical and dental evidences
that come before legal authorities
 Forensic Odontology is one of the fastest emerging
sub disciplines within the broader subject of dental
science.
 It requires special dental expertise not possessed by
ordinary pathologist qualified only in medicine.
 It encompasses ethical issues and events related to
the claim of negligence and malpractice by dentists
and paradental professionals.
Topics of today's discussion
 History and status of Forensic Odontology
 Working of Forensic dental section
 Forensic Dental Anatomy
 Main applications
 Case discussion
History
 66 A.D.: Lollia Paulina’s body identified

 Casualty ID in Revolutionary War
 1849
 Vienna Opera House fire
 Dental identification evidence first admitted in U.S.
court system
Forensic Medicine Department
 The department is divided into sub divisions
like record section, cold storage, autopsy
section, analytical, serologic and chemical
examiner, they are interlinked with a chain of
custody .
Forensic Dental Anatomy
Dentition
 ~ 32 teeth
 4 tooth types
 Incisors
 Canines
 Premolars
 Molars
 Orientation/Size
 Root Structure
Incisor Canine
crown
crown
neck neck
roo root
t
Premolar
cusps
crown
Molar
neck
crown
cusps
roots
neck
roots
The Universal System
 Each tooth has a specific
number
 Each surface of the teeth
are classified
 Notes extractions, fillings,
orientation, etc.
 Primary dentition noted
with upper case letters
Facial Dissection
The usual questions
 Are the remains human?
 If so, what are the sex, age, and race of the

individual?
 Who is the person?

Objective is Identification
 Is it a tooth, or a portion of a tooth?
 Is it an animal tooth, or a human tooth?
 If human, what type of tooth is it, i.e., incisor,
canine, premolar, or molar?
 Is it deciduous/primary, or permanent?
 Which quadrant does it come from, i.e., right
upper, left lower, etc?
 Some variation is developmental, i.e., the tooth
in question developed abnormally.
 Other variations are acquired at some time
after birth. Such acquired variations can be the
result of
 trauma
 erosion
 occupational insult
 dental work in a clinical setting.
Developmental abnormalities
 Abnormalities of eruption patterns.
 Abnormalities of shape (morphology). Any
given tooth can have missing features, extra
features, or atypical features. This can include
bent teeth, anomalies in the number of cusps or
roots, abnormal enamel deposition, etc.
 Abnormalities in the number of teeth. This can
range from complete absence of teeth (adontia),
to extra teeth, known as polydontia. Any given
tooth may be absent in any given individual, a
condition known as partial adontia. The
presence of additional individual teeth is
sometimes known as supernumerary teeth.
More developmental abnormalities
 Abnormalities in the spacing or position of
teeth. Teeth can be crowded, have gaps
(diastema) between them, or be rotated or
misaligned. Long-term bulimics often have
the appearance of teeth that are spreading
apart – as the space between the teeth increases
over time..
 Abnormalities in the size of teeth. It is quite
rare to have abnormally small (microdontia),
or abnormally large teeth (macrodontia) –
either as a complete set, or individually.
Acquired abnormalities
 Repairs, restorations, prostheses

 Dental staining & enamel variation
 Coffee, colas, nicotine
 Erosion
 Occupational
 Health-related issues
 Diet composition
 Occlusal attrition
 Missing teeth
 Premortem vs. peri/postmortem
Traumatic injuries should be assessed to determine
whether the injury is compatible with the
explanation, and whether there is evidence of earlier
trauma
Main Applications
 Individual Identification
 Mass Disaster
Identification
 Bite mark Analysis
Standard Identification procedures
CUYAHOGA COUNTY 07-0000

CORONER‘S OFFICE
Dental records
Photo
Fingerprints
Identification
 Postmortem description is
generated
 Radiographs taken
 Possible identities
known?
 Yes: Comparison to
antemortem data
 Match strength determined
 No: Biological profile
generated
Identification
 Postmortem description is generated
 Radiographs taken
 Possible identities known?
 Yes: Comparison to antemortem data
 Match strength determined
 No: Biological profile generated
Age Determination
Age Determination Chart
Blood Grouping
DNA profile generation

Mass Disaster Identification
 Completed in the same manner as individual
identification
 Organization of antemortem and postmortem
data is essential
 Large scale problems can occur if no record
available (radiological, DNA)
Mass Disaster Dental ID Teams
 Postmortem Team
 Generates dental profile and radiographs
 Antemortem Team
 Collects/organizes antemortem data
 Records Comparison Team
 Compares postmortem and antemortem data
Bite mark analysis
 Can be used to link
a suspect to a crime
 Impressions left on
food, skin or other
items left at a scene
Various Bite Marks
Forensic Science
 “Every contact leaves it’s
trace”
Said professor Edmond Locard (1877),
founder and director of the institute of
Criminalistics,
University of Lyons,
France
Impression Variation
 Each dentition can
produce variable
impressions
 Change based on
pressure and
surface of contact
Impressions from the same dentition
Analysis
 Bite marks are photographed with a scale
 Bite marks on skin are taken over repeated intervals
 Casts of impression are taken
 Impression traced onto transparencies
 Casts of suspects teeth are taken
 Comparison between suspect cast and bite
mark
Serological examination
 Assailants Saliva
 Collection
 preservation &
 dispatch of saliva collected from bite site
 DNA profiling & Blood Grouping
Computer Aided Forensic Odontology
 3D Bite mark analysis

 Automatic dental code matching
 OdontoSearch
 Automatic dental identification system
Bite mark Analysis Using 3D Scans
-- DentalPrint
3D scans of dental
casts are used to
generate overlays
using various
pressure and
deviation.
Bitemark Analysis Using 3D Scans
-- DentalPrint
The overlays are compared with the photograph of the

bite marks.
Matching Using Dental Codes
- CAPMI / WinID
OdontoSearch
 Different people may have the same dental
codes
 In the past, the strength of a match between a
PM dental code and an AM dental code is
based on the clinical experience of the dentist
 OdontoSearch provides an objective means of
assessing the frequency of occurrence for a
dental code
OdontoSearch
Automatic Dental Identification System
Genuine Matching Distance = 4.22
Query Image
Matching Distance = 27.57

Imposter
Genuine image has a smaller matching distance than the imposter

image. Images with smaller distance are included in the candidate list.
System Architecture
Feature Extraction
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Atlas Registration
32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 2423 22 21 20 19 18 17
Matching
Retrieval
Dental Programs

National Dental Program
 In 1997, The Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS) of the
FBI created a dental task force (DTF).
 State Dental Program
 Three states: Maryland, Washington, and California
 Best Collectors of Dental Records (>10%)
Famous Cases
 Bite mark analysis
 Identification
 Serological analysis of bite mark
Cases – Ted Bundy
 The most famous bite mark case
The bite mark was on Transparent overlays Wax bite exemplar

the body of a victim superimposed
 Ted Bundy, was an American serial killer who
murdered numerous young women between
1974 and 1978.
 He confessed to 30 murders, however the total
amount of victims remains unknown. He would
bludgeon his victims, then strangle them to
death. He engaged in rape and necrophilia.
Case# 2
 in summer 1997 In a small town near
yarkshaire wooden house catches fire and
collapse, 2 bodies were found, remains were
intermingled .
 Bodies were identified as 14 years old girl
 And 40 years old lady
 anatomical features and dental record.
Cases – 9/11
•At ground zero, among 973 victims identified in the first

year (with only one method), about 20% of victims were
identified using dental records.
Cases – Asian Tsunami
“Around mid-March, (of some
800+ identified bodies) 90% were
identified by dental records …
If you post pictures of your loved
ones on the bulleting
boards/web boards, choose
picture with a broad smile so that
front teeth can be seen. A better
approach is to post dental X-ray
films and leave email/phone
number of the dentist.”
----- Tsunami Relief website A forensic expert examines a film of the
teeth of a tsunami victim in Phuket of
Thailand, on Jan. 11, 2005.
Case#3
 A bite mark was
 identified and preserved
 impression was obtained
 reconstruction of assailants teeth was done
 Impression was compared with the record of
suspects and finally the assailant was arrested .
Outlines of incisal surfaces of the anterior teeth on a dental stone
study model. Note blackened occlusal surface of posterior right molars to insure
proper alignment when using finished overlays.
State of Indiana v.
Jeffery Jones
Indianapolis
Police Department
case no. 5610144G
History
 A naked dead body of 38 years old lady was
found near garbage container near her
residence.
 Crime scene investigators (CSI) closely analyze
the body and found a bite mark on her neck
and left breast.
 Saliva sample was collected from bite mark
 Sample send for DNA profile analysis .
C O D I S
Conclusion:
The DNA profile obtained from Item (s)
M16 and M17 does not match the
DNA profile of Item S1 and could not
have originated from their initial
suspect, Michael Willey.
C O D I S
Conclusion:
The DNA profile obtained from Item(s) M16 and
M17 was searched in the Indiana DNA Database
and was found to be consistent with the convicted
offender sample of Jeffery Jones (DOC inmate
#974912).
C O D I S
Conclusion:
In the absence of an identical twin, Jeffery Jones is
the source of the DNA obtained from Items M16
and M17 to a reasonable degree of scientific
certainty .
THANK YOU
FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY

Forensic Odontology DR Rizwan

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What are the main topics discussed in forensic odontology?

How can dental records be used for identification purposes?

Forensic

 66 A.D.: Lollia Paulina’s body identified

 If so, what are the sex, age, and race of the

 Who is the person?

 Repairs, restorations, prostheses

CUYAHOGA COUNTY 07-0000

DNA profile generation

 3D Bite mark analysis

The overlays are compared with the photograph of the

Genuine Matching Distance = 4.22

Matching Distance = 27.57

Genuine image has a smaller matching distance than the imposter

The bite mark was on Transparent overlays Wax bite exemplar

•At ground zero, among 973 victims identified in the first

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