Forensic dentistry is one of the most important up and coming fields in forensics. Although dental records have been used to identify bodies for decades new technologies and investigative methods have made teeth even more important in the field of forensics.
Origins of Teeth as Identification Methods
The first documented use of teeth as an identification method goes back to 66 A.D. in Rome at the time of Nero. Nero's mother, Agrippina, had her soldiers kill Lollia Paulina, with instructions to bring back her head as proof that she was dead. Agrippina was unable to positively identify the head and instead examined the front teeth. She found one front tooth that was discolored which confirmed the identity of the victim.
During the U.S. Revolutionary War, Paul Revere helped identify war casualties by their bridgework. Forensic dnetistry was used to identify Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun at the end of World War II, victims of the New York City World Trade Center bombing, the Waco Branch Davidien siege, and numerous airplane crashes and natural disasters.
Using Teeth in Criminal Trials
Odontology, the study of teeth for the investigation of identity, was first used in the United States courts in 1849 when the incinerated remains of George Parkman were identified by Nathan Cooley Keep through a partial denture he had made for this patient.
The first time bite marks were ever used as evidence in a criminal trial was in the 1954 case Doyle v. State of Texas where Doyle had left a bite mark in a piece of cheese. The most famous case is probably serial killer Ted Bundy who left a bite mark on the buttock of a victim, which helped secure his conviction in 1978.
IDIS – The Intelligent Dental Identification System
Similar to CODIS (Combined DNA Index System), IDIS (Intelligent Dental Identification System) incorporates the design and development of dental records, dental database, and identification models. In an article from Forensic Science International the IDIS team claimed, “From the ability of data structure analysis, IDIS can integrate all important dental data necessary for identification purposes.”(Chomdej) This includes:
- Present teeth and their characteristics
- Missing teeth and the reason they are missing
- Dental caries and the surfaces involved
- Dental restorations, surfaces involved, and materials used
- Dental prosthetics, their types, and materials used
- Dental anomalies
- Dental spacings and their dimensions
- Positions of supernumerary teeth
Although this is only one proposed system it incorporates the idea of computer assisted identification using a dental databank. A similar proposal is being looked into by The Criminal Justice Information Services Division (CJIS) of the FBI. Research teams from West Virginia University, Michigan State University, and the University of Miami are developing, in coordination with CJIS, a research prototype of the Automated Dental Identification System (ADIS).
Teeth Are Lockboxes For DNA
According to forensic odontologist David Sweet, in the Denver Post article DNA in teeth IDs skeleton Bones that of man missing since '97, “Teeth provide investigators and forensic experts with an excellent resource for identifying people involved in catastrophic situations and missing persons cases.” This is because of the structure of the teeth, a hard enamel casing that keeps the pulp safe from extreme conditions. "The teeth are like a coat of armor that protects the DNA at the core of the teeth," Sweet said. "Although there are other areas that DNA can be extracted, there are some cases where DNA from teeth may be the only hope. The point is they don't come up often, but when they do, they're very significant."
With DNA fast becoming the gold standard of identification finding a repository that may survive even the most extreme condition is an investigators dream. If dental records come up empty then processing the DNA contained within the teeth is the next best option, but not the absolute last one.
Teeth are as Diverse as DNA
A study published in the journal Forensic Science International claims that using the dental patterns in teeth is just as conclusive as using DNA. According to Stella Martín de las Heras, lead author and professor of Legal and Forensic Medicine at the University of Granada, “there is sufficient dental diversity between people to enable a scientifically-based human identification method to be developed for forensic purposes.”
The study comprised 3,000 dental samples obtained from corpses. “The results of the study show variability values of 0.999 (on a scale of 0 to 1), which is comparable to the rates for a scientifically-based identification method such as mitochondrial DNA," stresses Martín de las Heras. Although this is true there is a limitation to the usefulness of this type of dental study as compared to mitochondrial DNA: the population may suffer from a lack of dental care (or records) which would lead to an inability to identify, or possibly a faulty identification. Mitochondrial DNA only mutates from within the individual body.
Odontology in the Future
As with all forensic fields, forensic dentistry will continue to grow and become an increasingly vital component to both public and criminal identity investigations. According to Explore Health Careers, the average salary of a forensic odontologist is $150,000-$185,000 a year as of 2008. A degree in Dentistry and minimal coursework in forensic pathology are required.
Resources
Chomdej, T., W. Pankaowa, and S. Choychumroon. "Intelligent dental identification system (IDIS) in forensic medicine." Forensic Science International 158.1 (2006): 27+. General OneFile. Web. 15 July 2010. (Accessed July 2010)
"DNA in teeth IDs skeleton Bones that of man missing since '97." Denver Post [Denver, CO] 19 Aug. 1999: B-01. General OneFile. Web. 15 July 2010. (Accessed July 2010)
Stella Martin-de-las-Heras, Aurora Valenzuela, Juan de Dios Luna y Manuel Bravo. “The utility of dental patterns in forensic dentistry”. Forensic Science International 195.1: 166.e1-166.e5. Web. 04 Nov 2009. (Accessed July 2010)
Kenneth Sleight - Ken Sleight is a resident of Haslett, Mi. He was voted among his friends as, "most likely to be the phone a friend on Who Wants to be a ...
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