Every day, there is an average of 5.5 deaths per 100,000 people worldwide due to homicides which would make about 16,799 deaths annually. Just like an author of a book, each victim has a story to tell. And just like the reader of the book, investigators strive to solve the crime. "How did the murder happen? Who is going to seek justice for these victims? How are we going to punish the convict? How would we know that it was Mr A who killed Mrs B?" Thousands of questions will run through the investigator's mind as he begins to solve a murder. Allow us to take you through a journey - perhaps as Sir Sherlock Holmes - of solving a possible murder. Remember, fingerprints do not lie, but liars leave fingerprints.
Detective Sherlock Holmes.
Imagine this - forensic dentistry/odontology existed way back from 66 A.D.! By using the skull itself to identify the deceased is definitely not enough. Hence, people turned to look at the deceased's teeth. "Why the teeth?" you may ask. Well, this is because more often than not, murder victims would be struggling with their attacker and when a bite mark is left, viola! Identification of the guilty will be made so much more easy. Another reason would be because every individual's bite mark is unique. Also, forensic dentistry comes into play when victims cannot be identified by conventional means due to circumstances such as burnt bodies.
One thing to keep in mind about teeth is that they can chip, wear off or be reshaped in many ways. The set of teeth that we have today may not necessarily be the same set of teeth you were born with. Based on this factor, one set of bite mark can be easily differentiated from another.
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When we come across a person who has been bitten, a few questions should be asked before making new hypotheses or conclusions. These would include:
- When was the bite inflicted?
- Which part(s) of the body were bitten?
- Which position(s) were the bitten parts in at that time?
- Did the bite take place through clothing? Has this clothing been submitted for
examination already?
- Has the skin been washed since the assault?
- Does the victim suffer from any condition liable to have influenced the appearance of a
bite mark/bruise? (For example, clotting disorders)
Now, we get down to serious business and will further explain how forensic dentistry could be useful in the identification of murder victims.
By using highly specific technical procedures (which we will not go into detail so as not to confuse you even further), a forensic dentist can provide accurate estimates as to the age of a victim when they pass away and can also take DNA samples from the teeth for use in the identification process. As teeth are one of the only things remaining when a body decomposes, they are useful for extrapolating (in easier words, extracting) DNA samples along with bone marrow and hair. Forensic dentistry can also be used to determine whether or not a bite mark has been made by natural or synthetic teeth (dentures). Teeth are also more commonly used to obtain DNA because dental tissue are more resistant to incineration, immersion, trauma, mutilation and decomposition.
Creating bite marks. Hahaha. (Purely entertainment :D)
Bite marks, like fingerprints, are unique to each individual. Forensic dentists will be able to make a cast or take pictures of the bite marks (which bruise in the same way as a blunt force trauma wound or the result of a tightly held grip) to use later on as a means of comparing results.
Fun fact: A person's set of teeth is unique much like their fingerprints.
Even identical twins do not have exactly the same set of teeth. Did you know
that your tongue print is also unique?
How teeth create bite marks.
A human bite mark will often be elliptical or circular in formation and will display the specific characteristics of the teeth that have been used to make the mark. Likewise a bite mark will can be U-shaped in appearance with a space in between to show where the biter has opened their mouth to a width necessary to get their teeth around a wrist or an arm.
YOU-shaped. Lame joke. Pun intended.
The mistreatment of teeth also has a large part to play in the identification of bite marks. Missing teeth, fractures or malformed teeth all bear their own unique characteristics and these show when a bite mark is examined. As do the position of the incisors within the biter's mouth and whether or not these incisors - which appear as triangular shaped wounds or marks on the skin of the person who has been bitten - are in good order.
Imma bite you. Imma biting you!
With sufficient force in biting, the skin of the victim can be penetrated and bruised leaving saliva in the wound which can in itself be used as a means of identification through DNA testing. Bite marks can also be found on items in the crime scene.
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Roles of the forensic dentist
The comparative examination is the most common and used procedure to establish to a high degree of certainty the remains of the deceased and the john doe represented in the antemortem (which means before death) dental records are the same individual. The second investigation is for cases without previous antemortem records and where no clues to positive identity exist.
Under the second circumstance, postmortem dental profile is completed by the forensic dentist suggesting characteristics of the individual and so narrowing search of the antemortem materials.
With the advent of advanced analytical computer software packages, dental biometrics – the matching of antemortem and postmortem dental radiographs for human identification has come into prominence in instances of unavailable fingerprint or facial features.
Part of a broken skull.
Comparative Dental Identification: Postmortem dental remains can be compared to antemortem which includes written notes, study casts and radiographs to confirm identity. Individuals with numerous and complex restorations are often easier to identify than those with little or no restorative treatment. Teeth are one of the few structures in the human body that are preserved after death.
Postmortem.
Forensic dentists produce postmortem records based on careful charting and written description of dental structures and radiographs of the deceased. Following a systematic comparison of antemortem and postmortem records of each tooth and surrounding structures such as bony prominences and congenital defects followed by dental restorations, similarities and discrepancies are noted.
Forensic odontologist investigating the skull.
Not only that, age estimation of the victim can be done (especially for burnt victims) by looking at the victim's tooth development and the sequence of eruption. This is important because it is the starting point for narrowing the search for possible matching data that are to be retrieved from local, regional and national missing person list. Current dental age estimation are based on age-related changes in the teeth that can be divided into 3 categories and further down into a few subcategories as stated below:
1. Formation and growth of teeth.
- Progressive changes in forming and developing teeth
- Eruption of teeth
2. Post-formation changes in teeth
- Gross anatomical changes in teeth
- Histological changes in teeth
3. Biochemical changes in teeth
Now, perhaps you will have a clearer view of what is happening in forensic dentistry. True to the headline of this post, liars really can't get away from punishment. Somehow or rather, if you have committed a crime, your actions will carry a heavy responsibility along with it. With cool tools and advanced technology these days, nothing is impossible.
THE END.
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