2. • FORENSIC IS DERIVED FROM THE LATIN WORD
FORUM WHICH MEANS COURT OF LAW
• ODONTOLOGYSTUDY OF TEETH
• DEFINED AS THAT BRANCH OF DENTISTRY WHICH ,IN
THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE ,DEALS WITH THE PROPER
HANDLING AND EXAMINATION OF DENTAL
EVIDENCE,AND WITH THE PROPER EVALUATION AND
PRESENTATION OF DENTAL FINDINGS

3. • FORENSIC DENTISTRY PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN
IDENTIFICATION IN MAN MADE OR NATURAL
DISASTER –EVENTS THAT RESULT IN
MULTIPLE FATALITIES THAT MAY NOT BE
IDENTIFIABLE THROUGH CONVENTIONAL
METHODS SUCH AS FINGER PRINTS

4. • THE EARLIEST KNOWN EXAMPLE BY DENTAL MEANS DATES
BACK TO 66 AD
• ELABORATE DENTAL RECORDS INCLUDING RADIOGRAPHS
AND SPARE CROWNS IDENTIFIED THE BODY OF ADOLPH
HITLER ,THE MOST HIGH PROFILE CASE OF DENTAL
IDENTIFICATION
• IT RELIES ON SOUND KNOWLEDGE OF TEETH AND JAWS
,POSSESED BY DENTIST AND INCORPORATES DENTAL
ANATOMY ,HISTOLOGY RADIOGRAPHY ,DENTAL MATERIALS
AND DEVELOPMENTAL ANOMALIES

5. FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY DELVE INTO
• IDENTIFYING UNKNOWN HUMAN REMAINS THROUGH
DENTAL RECORDS ,AND ASSISTING AT LOCATION OF MASS
DISASTER
• ELICITING THE ETHNICITY AND ASSISTING IN BUILDING UP A
PICTURE OF LIFESTYLE AND DIET OF SKELETAL REMAINS AT
ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES
• DETERMINIG THE GENDER OF AN UNIDENTIFIED
INDIVIDUAL
• AGE ESTIMATION OF BOTH THE LIVING AND DECEASED
• RECOGNITION AND ANALYSIS OF BITE MARKS FOUND ON
VICTIMS OF ATTACK AND OTHER SUBSTANCES SUCH AS
FOOD STUFF
6. PRESENTING EVIDENCE IN COURT AS AN EXPERT WITNESS

6. PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
• IDENTIFICATION IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PERSONS
INDIVIDUALITY
• REQUIRED FOR LEGAL AND HUMANITARIAN REASONS
• HELP IN SETTLEMENT OF PROPERTY ,FACLITATE
REMARRIAGE OF A SURVIVING SPOUSE AND ALLOW
CREMATION OR BURIAL OF THE BODY ,ACCORDING TO
RELAVENT RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL CUSTOMS

7. TRADITIONAL METHODS
• VISUALLY RECOGNISING BODY
• PERSONAL PROPERTY SUCH AS CLOTHING ,JEWELLERY
ETC
VISUALLY IDENTIFYING THAT IS BURNT OR DECOMPODSED
CAN BE AVERY TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE FOR
RELATIVES AND FRIENDS ,THE BETTER OPTION
IDENTIFICATION IS FORENSIC EXPERT TO ANALYSE
PHYSICAL FEATURES PRESENT IN THE BODY

8. • PHYSICAL FEATURES ARE PRONE TO CHANGE
OVER TIME ,FINGER PRINTS ARE EXCEPTIONS
BUT LIKE OTHER SOFT TISSUE,UNDERGO POST
MORTUM CHANGE
• BEING THE STRONGEST STRUCTURE PRESENT IN
THE BODY DENTAL HARD TISSUES ARE RESISTANT
TO POST MORTUM DECOMPOSITION

9. • MOREOVER MOST MATERIAL USED BY DENTIST FOR
RESTORING TEETH ARE ALSO RESISTANT TO POST
MORTUM DESTRUCTION
• THEREFORE THE USE OF DENTAL EVIDENCE IS THE
METHOD OF CHOICE IN ESTABLISHING THE IDENTITY
OF BADLY BURNT ,TRAUMATISED,DECOMPOSED
AND SKELETONISED REMAINS

10. BASIS FOR DENTAL IDENTIFICATION
• HUMAN DENTITION IS NEVER SAME IN ANY
TWO INDIVIDUALS
• THE ,MORPHLOGY AND ARRANGEMENT OF
TEETH VARY FROM PERSON TO PERSON
• TEETH ARE RELATIVELY RESISTANTNTO
ENVIRONMENTAL INSULTS AFTER DEATH

11. DENTAL IDENTIFICATION
PROCEDURES• TWO FORMS:
1. COMPARITIVE IDENTIFICATION:COMPARING THE DEAD
INDIVIDUALS 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

12. COMPARITIVE DENTAL
IDENTIFICATION
• INCLUDES FOUR STEPS
STEP 1:ORAL AUTOPSY
STEP 2:OBTAINING DENTAL RECORDS
STEP 3:COMPARING POST MORTUM AND
ANTIMORTUM DENTAL DATA
STEP 4:WRITTIN A REPORT AND DRAWING
CONCLUSION

13. ORAL AUTOPSY
• ALSO KNOWN AS NECROPSY OR POST MORTUM
• 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

14. • ORAL EXAMINATION IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF
POSTMORTUM PROCEDURS
• A FORENSIC DENTIST WHO CONDUCT ORAL AUTOPSY
SHOULD HAVE ADEQUATE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT
COMMON POSTMORTUM FINDINGS SUCH AS RIGOR
MORTIS ,LIVER MORTIS ,DECOMPOSITION AND
POSTMOTUM ARTEFACTS
• RIGOR MORTIS MAY RENDER THE JAW AND THE USE OF
MOUTH GAGS OR INTRA ORAL MYOTOMY IS ESSENTIAL
FOR JAW SEPERATION

15. • Since teeth may be brittle in burned cases, they need
to be reinforced with cyanoacrylate cements,
polyvinyl acetate or clear acrylic spray prior to
examination
• 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
• A thorough examination of soft tissue injuries,
fracture and presence of foreign bodies is under
taken and samples of hard and soft tissues may be
obtained for further investigation

16. OBTAINING DENTAL RECORDS
• FROM TREATING DENTIST,SPEACILIST,HOSPITAL
RECORDS IN THE FORM OF DENTAL CHARTS
RADIOGRAPHS,CASTS, AND/OR PHOTOGRAPHS
• CONTENT OF ALL AVAILABLE RECORDS SHOULD BE
TRANSCRIBED ON TO THE STANDARD ‘INTERPOL
ANTEMRTEM FORM’ WHICH IS COLOUR CODED IN
YELLOW

17. COMPARNG POST-MORTEM &ANTE-MORTEM DENTAL
RECORDS
• FEATURES COMPARED INCLUDE TOOTH MORPHOLOGY AND
ASSOSIATED BONY STRUCTURES, PATHOLOGY AND
RESTORATIONS
• AN INDIVIDUAL WITH MULTIPLE DENTAL TREATMENT AND
UNUSUAL FEATURES HAS A BETTER LIKELIHOOD OF BEING
IDENTIFIED THAN SOMEONE WITH NO EXTRAORDINARY
DENTAL CHARECTERISTICS
• COMPARISON SHOULD TAKE IN TO ACCOUNT QUALITY
RATHER THAN QUANTITY

18. WRITING A REPORT AND DRAWING CONCLUSION
• CONFIRMS IDENTIFICATION:MATCH EACH OTHER
• PROBABLE IDENTIFICATION:HIGH LEVEL OF CONCORDANCE
BETWEEN THE TWO SETS OF DATA BUT,USUALLY ,WITH NO
RADIOGRAPHIC SUPPORT
• POSSIBLE IDENTIFICATION:EXPLAINABLE IDENTIFICATION
BETWEEN THE ANTE AND POST-MORTEM DATA
• INSUFFICIANT INFORMATION:AVAILABLE ANTI&POS-
MORTEM DATA ARE INSUFFFICIANT
• EXCLUDES IDENTIFICATION:ANTI&POST MORTEM DATA
ARE CLEARLY INCONSISTENT

19. IDENTIFICATION IN DISASTERS
• INVOLVES COMPARING HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS ,OF
ANTE &POST MORTEM DATA
• HUMAINS REMAINS IN SUCH EVENTS MAY BE HIGHLY
FRAGMENTED , ONLY PART OF BODY MAY BE
RECOVERED ;THE NODIES MAY BE INCINERATED OR
COMMINGLED i.e. PARTS OF TWO BODIES MAY BE
MIXED

20. DENTAL SECTION
• FORENSIC DENTIST ARE USUALLY PART OF A
TEAM OF IDENTIFICATION SPECIALIST
• THREE SUB SECTIONS
1.POST MORTEM UNITS
2.ANTE –MORTEM UNITS
3.DENTAL COMPARISON IDENTIFICATION UNITS

21. POST-MOTEM UNIT
• THE LOCATION AT WHICH A BODY IS RECOVERED NOTED
AND PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF MOUTH IS MADE
TO EVALUATE THE ORAL CONDITION
• DEFINITIVE EXAMINATION AT MORTURY OF POST-
MORTUM UNIT
• A PORTABLE DENTAL RDIGRAPHY SHOULD BE INSTALLED,
TAKING PRECAUTIONS AGAINST RADIATION HAZARDS
• TEETH AND JAW SPECIMEN MAY BE REMOVED FROM A
BODY FOR THE CONVEININCE OF EXAMINATION

22. ANTE-MORTEM UNIT
• MOST DIFFICULT.
• THE MEMBERS NEED TO COLLECT AS MUCH AS
INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE IN THE SHORTEST PERIOD OF
TIME
• BEGINS WITH LOCATING THE DENTAL RECORDS OF THE
VICTIMS COMMUNICATING WITH POLICE, DENTIST, AND
RELATIVES OF THE VICTIMS
• ALL INFORMATION OBTAINED MUST BE TRANSFERRED ONTO
THE STANDARD INTERPOL ANTE-MORTEM FORM
• THIS CONSTITUTE THE ANTE MORTEM COMPOSITE CHART

23. DENTAL COMPARISON AND IDENTIFICATION UNIT
• COMPARISON AND CONFORMATION OF
IDENTIFICATION
• THE ANTE-MORTEM DATA ARE TAKEN INDIVIDUALLY
AND COMPARED TO THE POST-MORTEM DATA THAT
ARE SPREAD OUT (COMPUTER SOFTWARE
DEVELOPED TO SIMPLIFY COMPARISON )
• FINAL IDENTIFICATION SHOULD ALWAYS BE DONE BY
DENTIST MANUALLY

24. IDENTIFICATION FROM DENTAL DNA
• TEETH ARE EXCELLENT OURCE OF DNA SINCE IT CAN
RESIST EXTREME CONDITION
• PCR ALLOWS AMPLIFICATION OF EVEN HIGHL
DEGRADED DNA
• MAJOR ADVANTAGE IS THAT IF DECENDENT’S ANTE
MOTEM SAMPLE (HAIR FROM HAIR BRUSH,
EPITHELIAL CELLS FROM TOOTH BRUSH OR BIOPSY)IS
UNAVAILABLE ,THE DNA PATTEN MAY BE
COMPARED TO A PARENT OR TO A SIBLING

25. EXTRACTION OF DENTAL DNA
• PULPAL TISSUE BEST SOURCE OF DENTAL DNA
• CRYOGENIC GRINDING FOR EXTRACTING DNA(COOLING
THE WHOLE TOOTH TO EXTREMLY LOW
TEMPERATURE,AND THEN MECANICALLY GRINDING IT
TO FINE POWDER)TOOTH WILL BE COMPLETELY
CRUSHED
• ANOTHER METHODDRILLING OF THE ROOT CANALS,
SCRAPING THE PULPAL AREA WITH A NOTCHABLE
MEDICAL NEEDLE,AND SUBSEQUENT FLUSHING OF THE

26. TYPES OF DNA
• TWO TYPES OF DNA
1)GENOMIC OR NUCKEAR DNA
2)MITOCHONDRIAL DNA (mtDNA)
• EACH CELL HAS A HIGH COPY OF mt DNA ,ALSO
EXCLUSIVELY INHERITED FROM MOTHER;NO
CONTRIBUTION FROM FATHER
• THUS IDENTICAL mtDNA IS OBSERVED IN SIBLINGS,
THEIR MOTHER AND MANY MATERNAL RELATIVES

27. THE PALATAL RUAE IN IDENTIFICATION
• USEFUL IN EDENTULOUS PERSONS
• RGAE PATTERNS LIKE TEETH ARE CONSIDERED
UNIQUE TO AN INDIVIDUAL
• RUGAE PATTERNS ON THE DECEDENT’S MAXILLA OR
MAXILLARY DENTURES MAY BE COMPARED TO OLD
DENTURES THAT MAY BE REOVERED FROM THE
DECEDENT’S RESIDENCE,OR PLASTER MODEL FROM
DENTAL OFFICE

28. CLASSIFICATION OF PALATAL RUGAE
• LYSELL MEASURED RUGAE IN ASTRAIGHT LINE FROM
MEDIAL TO LATERAL AND CATEGORIZED AS
-PRIMARY RUGAE (>5mm)
-SECONDARY RUGAE(3-5mm)
-FRAGMANTARY RUGAE (2-3mm)
(RUGAE <2mm IS NOT TAKEN IN TO CONSIDERATION)
• THOMAS &KOTZE HAVE FURTHER DETAILED VARIOUS
PATTERNS OF PRIMARY RUGAE –BRANCHED ,UNIFIED ,
CROSSLINKED , ANNULAR , &PAPILLARY

29. ANALYSIS OF RUGAE PATTERNS
• THOMAS AND VAN WYK HAVE MANUALLY
TRACED RUGAE PATTERN ON PHOTOGRAPHS
OF PLASTER MODEL
• RECENTLY, LIMSON AND JULIAN HAVE
DEVELOPED A COMPUTER SOFT WARE
PROGRAM,’RUGFP-ID MATCH’(SAME
PRINCIPLE OF FINGER PRINTING)

30. DENTAL PROFILING
• WHEN ANTE-MORTEM RECORDS ARE NOT
AVAILABLE
• INCLUDES A TRIAD OF INFORMATIONETHNIC
ORIGIN , GENDER , AGE
• INFORMATION FROM THIS PROCESS WILL
ENABLE A MORE FOCUSSED SEARCH FOR ANTE-
MORTEM RECORDS

31. IDENTIFY ETHNIC ORIGIN FROM THE TEETH
• HUMAN RACES HAVE BEEN DIVIDED IN TO
THREE RACES CAUCASOID, MANGALOID AND
NEGROID
• IT IS POSSIBLE TODAY TO IDENTIFY AN
INDIVIDUAL’S ETHNIC ORIGIN BASED PURELY
ON ONE’S DENTITION

32. GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCE ON TEETH
• DENTAL FEATURES HAVE COMPLEX MODE OF
INHERITENCE AND ARE COMBINATION OF HERIDITY AND
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS TO WHICH PERSON IS
EXPOSED
• SO DIFFERENT POPULATION SHOW CONSIDERABLE
VARIATION
• DENTAL FEATURES IN POPULATION DIVIDED IN TO
1)METRIC(TOOTH SIZE)
2)NON METRIC(TOOTH SHAPE)
:MORE HERITABLE&DEPENDABLE

33. NON METRIC DENTAL FEATURES
CROWN FEATURE
SHOVELLING,DOUBLE SHOVELLING,CAREBELLI’S FEATURE,THREE
CUSPED UPPER 2ND
MOLAR,CUSP 5, CUSP 6,CUSP 7,
WINGLING,FIVE -CUSPED LOWER SECOND MOLAR, LOWER
MOLAR GROOVE PATTERN,INTERRUPTION GROOVE, ENAMEL
EXTENSION, ODONTOME, LETAREL INCISOR VARIATION,
DISTAL ACCESSORY RIDGE, PREMOLAR ACCESSORY RIDGE,
PREMOLAR ACCESSORY MARGINAL TUBERCLE, PREMOLAR
LINGUAL CUSP, MESIAL MARGINAL TUBERCLE OF UPPER
MOLAR, PARASTYLE, PROTOSTYLID

34. ROOT FEATRES
TWO ROOTED UPPER PREMOLAR
TWO ROOTED UPPER MOLAR
TWO ROOTED LOWER CANINE
TOMES ROOT
THREE ROOTED LOWER MOLAR
SINGLE ROOTED LOWER MOLAR
OF THESE NON-METRIC DENTAL FEATURES SOME HAVE HIGH
FREQUENCY IN CERTAIN POPULATION AND OTHER UNCOMMEN
Eg: SOUTH-ASIAN’S EXHIBIT 4 CUSPED LOWER SECOND MOLAR BUT
FEATURES LIKE WINGLING ,SHOWELLING,Y GROOVE PATTERN TOMES
PATTERN

35. SEX DIFFERANTIATION
•SECOND STEP
•CAN BE DETERMINED
1)SEXING FROM CRANIOFACIAL
MORPHOLOGY AND DIMENSION
2)SEX DIFFRENCES IN TOOTH SIZE
3)DENTAL INDEX
4)SEX DETERMINATION BY DNA ANALYSIS
5)SEX DETERMINATION BY DNA ANALYSIS

36. Dental Age Estimation
• Final step in dental profiling
• Estimation methods
1). Age estimation in prenatal, neonatal and
early post natal child
-by use of histologic technique (12 weeks before it is
actually apparent on radiographs)
-by radiograph-non invasive
-neonatal line indicates a live births
-by dry weight of mineralized tooth (at six month IU- 60mg,
newborn-0.5g, six month post natal-1.8g)

37. 2.Age estimation in children and adolescents
-two events may be usederuption and tooth
calcification
-various methods
a). Schowur and Massler’s method: described 20
chronological stages of tooth development starting from
4 months IU until 21 years of age. It is based on
histological section which permits direct comparison with
radiographs
b).Demirjan’s method: made use of a foreign system.
Devolopment of Left side seven mandibular teeth was
devided into 8 stages(A-H). Each tooth assaigned a”
maturity score” and total maturity score of all teeth is
plotted on a chronologic age conversion table. Separate
maturity score and age conversion table for both sexes.

38. 3). Age estimation in adults
challenging when compared to young age groups as numerous
endogenous and exogenous fqactors, such as disease, nutrition,
physical strain influences.
a). Method:
Gustafson’s method: based on morphological and histological
changes of the teeth. Accessed regressive changes such as:
.amount of occlusal attrition (A)
.coronal secondary dentin deposition(S)
.loss of periodontal attachment(P)
.Cementum aposition at the root apex(C)
.Root resorbtion at apex(R)
.dentin translucency (T)
Each of regressive changes have seven grades (0,0.5,1,1.5,2,2.5,3)
Age = 11.02+(5.14A)+(2.3S)+(4.14P)+(3.71C)+(5.57R)+ (8.98T)

39. b). Dentin translucency: root dentin starts to
become translucent during the third decade of
life beginning at the apex and advancing
coronally. Hence as age advances refractive index
between intratubular organic and extra tubular
inorganic material is equalized resulting in
increased translucency of the affected dentin
zone.
Age= B0+B1X where B0 –regression constant
B1-regression coefficient
X-length of translucency

40. Cranio-facial estimators of age
• Cranial suture and also mandible provides certain
characteristic for elicitation of age
Surture Endocranial
initiation
Ectocranial
termination
Sagittal 21 35
Sphenoparietal 30 65
Coronal 25 39
Squamosal 37 80
Sphenotemporal 30 68
Lambdoid 26 41
Mastooccipetal 26 72
Sphenofrontal 24 35

41. INFANCY ADULT OLD AGE
BODY shallow Thick & long shallow
RAMUS Forms an
obtuse angle
with the body
Forms an
approximate
right angle
Obtuse
angle
MENATAL
FORAMEN
Located near
lower margin
of the body
Midway
between
upper and
lower
margin
Near
alveolar
margin
CONDYLE Occupies a
lower level to
the coronoid
process
Elongated and
projects
above the
coronoid
Neck is bent
backwards

42. • Cranial measurement (in mm) useful in sexing
• CRANIAL VARIABLES
Males Females
Cranial base length 112.5 103
Mastoid height 12.5 9.6
Mastoid width 24 19
Total face height 127 114
Bizygomatic breadth 129 122
Basion-nasion length 102 96
Cranial length 188 179
Nasal height 54 50
Maximum frontal width 120 115.5

43. • Cranial measurement (in mm) useful in sexing
• MANDIBLE VARIABLES
Male Female
Bicondylar breadth 117 111
Bigonial breadth 100 91.5
Minimum ramus breadth 31 28.5
Gonion-gnathion breadth 77 73
Total mandibular length 111 108

44. CRIME INVESTIGATION
BITE MARKS:
• A mark caused by teeth either alone or in combination with
other mouth parts (Mac Donald).
• May be caused by humans or animals; may be on tissue, food
items or other objects.
• Human bite broad, U-shaped somewhat circular or oval.
• Animal bite narrow in the anterior aspect , V shaped and
elongated also morphology of the teeth is different.

45. Classification of bite marks
1.Cameron and Sims Classification
Agents
Humans
Animals
Materials
skin,body tissue
food stuff
other materials
2.Mac Donald’s classifications
Tooth pressure mark
Tongue pressure mark
Tooth scrape mark

46. 3. Webster’s classification
Type I
Type II
Type III

47. Bite mark appearance
• Type of injury
• Identifying The Injury As a Bite Mark
a). Gross features: Circular or ellipticalwith central area
of ecchymosis
b). Class features: Incisorrectangular
Caninestriangular or rectangular
Premolars and molars spherical or point shaped
c). Individual features: Class features intern have
characteristics such as fractures rotation etc.
• Site of Bite Marks
Females on breast, legs( inner part of thigh)-sexual
assault
Male children genitals-child abuse
Adult Males finger, arms and shoulders-fight

48. Bite mark investigation
• Preliminary questions
• Bite mark evidence collection from the victims
if criminal in nature is reported to law enforcement
agencies
Steps:
1.Visual examination
2.Photography
Orientation photographs
close-up photographs
3.Saliva swab: WBC and sloughed epithelial
cells, potential source of DNA
4.Impression: Vinyl polysiloxane
5.Evidence collection from suspect: using a
signed and informed consents or a court
order (warrant) also include photograph, two casts, bite
registration in centric occlusion and saliva swab from
buccal vestibule

49. Bite mark analysis and comparison
• Jaw movement
• Flexibility of bitten tissue
• Individual features of bite marks
• Metric analysis
• Computer software program

50. Conclusion Of Bite Mark Analysis
• Positive identification
• Possible identification
• Excludes identification

51. DENTIST AS AN EXPERT WITNESS
• Expert witness are those whose training,
qualification or experience enables them to give an
opinion on relevant matter where the ordinary
person is not so enabled.
• To become dental expert to forensic dental expert
need additional knowledge and experience

52. Thank You!