Forensic Odontology An Introduction to Forensic Dentistry

Forensic Odontology Forensic Odontology is the application of dentistry in legal proceedings deriving from ANY evidence that pertains to teeth.

Why are Teeth Important in Forensics? Every human body ages in a similar manner, the teeth also follow a semi-standardized pattern. These quantitative measurements help establish relative age of person. Each human has an individual set of teeth which can be traced back to established dental records to find missing individuals. Teeth are made of enamel (hardest tissue of the body) so it can withstand trauma (decomposition, heat degradation, water immersion, and desiccation) better than other tissues in body. Teeth are a source of DNA: dental pulp or a crushed tooth can provide nuclear or mitochondrial DNA that to help identify a person.

Who practices Forensic Odontology and what do they do? Forensic Odontologists Must have DDS degree Should have specialized training in the field through lectures (not required) Forensic dentists help: Identify human remains (individual and mass) Analyze bite marks Bite marks are compared to known teeth molds to find origin of bite injuries Estimate age of the victim and perpetrator Trace dental malpractice DDS = Doctor of Dental Surgery Top: Forensic Odontologist analyzing animal teeth for comparison. Side: Seal for American Board of Forensic Odontology.

History of Forensic Odontology 66AD – First body identified using teeth Lollia Paulina Revolutionary War Paul Revere was the first forensic dentist in the United States because he identified fallen revolutionary soldiers. 1849 – Mass deaths at Vienna Opera House Fire Dental evidence is first admitted into court system in US HW: Choose one of this 3 cases and write a 1 page document summarizing it. Follow rubric.

Lollia Paulina was a noble Roman woman who lived in the 1st century, and for six months in AD 38 was a Roman Empress as the third wife of the Emperor Caligula. Caligula divorced her because he claimed she was infertile. Later on, Paulina became a rival to Caligula‘s sister Agrippina the Younger and was considered a choice for fourth wife of Caligula's uncle, the Emperor Claudius, following the death of Claudius's third wife. In AD 49, Agrippina, now married to Claudius, had Paulina charged with sorcery. Paulina never got a hearing. Her property was confiscated and she was sent into exile. Paulina was forced to commit suicide under the watch of a colonel of the Guards, and implies that this was done under Agrippina's orders. In other accounts, Claudius had his mistress, Lollia Paulina, beheaded and then demanded to examine the teeth on the body to ensure the right woman had been put to death. He knew she had a discolored front tooth.

In 1775, Paul Revere, famous for alerting American colonists to the approach of British forces, made a set of dentures for a friend, Dr. Joseph Warren, who was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill that year. Warren was buried in a mass grave, but his family wanted the body for a private burial. Revere was able to identify Warren's body through the dentures he had made. In a similar case in 1914, a dentist in Scotland helped to identify a corpse in a grave-robbing case. Such crimes were not uncommon at the time as the bodies were furnished to medical schools. The victim had recently been fitted with a denture and this was presented in court as evidence of her identity.

The first use of dental records in the identification of victims of mass disaster was probably the fire at the Vienna Opera House in 1878. Dental remains were also used to identify some of the 126 dead in a fire in Paris in 1897, which prompted the writing of the first textbook on forensic dentistry by the pioneering figure Oscar Amoedo. Since then, forensic odontology has been used to identify the victims of many other major incidents such as plane crashes, fires, and terrorist attacks.

For instance, in the year 2000, Alaska Airlines Flight 261 crashed in California, killing 88 passengers and crew. A team of forensic dentists summoned to the scene found few intact jawbones and worked with partial post-mortem records, comparing these with the full ante-mortem dental charts which were sent to them from the victims' dentists. Over 100 dental remains were studied and compared with 68 complete dental records. In total, 22 of the victims were identified through their dental records. In the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, only around half of the estimated 2,749 victims were ever identified, through a mixture of DNA, jewelry, and dental records.

Teeth Hardest part of body attached TO jaws. IT serves to help digest food, act as a defense mechanism, etc. teeth are made of a crown with enamel surrounding a pulp.

Teeth Basics Approximately 32 teeth in adult mouth Four types of teeth: Molars Premolars Canine Incisors Teeth differ in: Size Shape Root type Types of teeth. Left to right: Incisor, Canine, Premolar, molar.

Teeth through the years Childhood Adulthood Primary teeth sprout from milk buds and are temporary. Once they fall out, permanent teeth as seen on the other side appear. Permanent adult teeth come in when primary teeth fall out; they are permanent because they establish roots inside the gums. Third molar come in around the mid teenage years.

Standard Teeth Development for Age Determination

Individual Characteristics Size of tooth Shape of tooth Shape of root Placement of tooth Quantity of teeth Combinations of dental work done: Crowns Extractions Bridge Fillings Root canals Various dental work

Analyzing Teeth The Universal System Teeth are given a specific number. (Primary teeth are given specific capital letter) Any dental work done on surface is noted Sheets kept on dental file forever. When person is missing, files are transferred to the missing person’s office

How are bodies identified using teeth? Individual Identification Mass Identification Postmortem description is generated X rays and radiographs Positive identification is compared to ante-mortem data Negative identification, a biological profile is generated Same process is used as individual identification Organization is crucial Family is asked to come identify the body, and narrow down the pool of victims.

Various Teeth Found

Bite Marks Impressions from teeth found on skin or items left at a scene. Usually outline teeth placement.

Where are bite marks found? Impressions left on food, skin or other items left at a scene. Porous surfaces that absorb the impact enough to make an impression Impressions vary Depending on the pressure applied, the impression will show accordingly. The more pressure there is, the more detail to the bite.

How are bite marks analyzed? 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

Various Bite Marks

State of Florida v. Ted Bundy 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. Evidence, various pictures from trial

Ted Bundy Bite Marks One of the events that swayed the jury during the trial was the testimony of odontologist Dr. Richard Souviron. While on the stand, Dr. Souviron described the bite mark injuries found on Lisa Levy’s body. As he spoke, the jury was shown full-scale photographs of the bite marks that had been taken the night of the murder. The doctor pointed out the uniqueness of the indentations left behind on the victim and compared them with full-scale pictures of Ted’s teeth. There was no question that Ted had made the bite marks on Lisa Levy’s body. The photos would be the biggest piece of evidence the prosecution had linking Ted to the crime.

Computer Odontology Automatic dental code matching OdontoSearch Bites are run through the computer to find a match OdontoSearch Compare a data base of missing peoples, felons, government workers Automatic dental identification system A few minutes will produce a list of people who have the same dental code number 3D Bite mark analysis 3D scans of dental casts are used to generate overlays using various pressure and deviation. The overlays are compared with the photograph of the bite marks.