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ODONTOLOGY

المؤلف:  Max M. Houck، Jay A. Siegel

المصدر:  Fundamentals of Forensic Science

الجزء والصفحة:  205

2026-07-18

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ODONTOLOGY

The most common role of the forensic dentist is the identification of deceased individuals. Dental identification can be conducted through comparison of dental remains to either ante-mortem or postmortem records. The most frequently performed examination is comparing the dentition of a deceased person to those of a person represented by ante-mortem to determine if they are the same individual. The biological profile developed by the forensic anthropologist is very helpful in narrowing down the potential choices for selecting the ante-mortem records. If the ante-mortem records are available, any postmortem X-rays should replicate the view and angle in the ante-mortem X-rays. If ante-mortem records are not available, a postmortem record is created by the forensic dentist for possible future comparisons. The forensic dentist produces the postmortem record by careful charting and written descriptions of the dental structures and by taking radiographs. Once the postmortem record is complete, a comparison between it and any ante mortem records can be conducted. The comparison is methodical and systematic: Each tooth and structure is examined and compared. Fillings, caps, and restorations play the largest role in the identification process. Other features play a role in those individuals with good dental hygiene and few restorations. Similarities should be noted during the comparison process, as well as explainable and unexplainable discrepancies. Those differences that can be explained typically encompass dental restorations that occurred in the time elapsed between the ante-mortem and postmortem records. The person had a tooth pulled or a cavity filled, for example. If a discrepancy is unexplainable, such as a postmortem tooth that is not present on the ante-mortem record, then the odontologist will conclude that two different people are represented (an exclusion).