Learn What A Forensic Dentist Does

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What is forensic dentistry? It is all about the exact handling, the examination and the evaluation of evidence pertaining to the teeth. When an examination is conducted of the teeth, this is for the purpose of identifying a person. In this field the dental records are considered post mortem photographs and it is taken by the forensic dentist. Again, these are used to help identify a person. But that is not all there is to forensic dentistry. The bite marks left on the attacker’s skin can be matched to the teeth of the victim.

And why do you think that forensic experts can still use the teeth after the victim has been dead for quite some time already? It is because of the enamel which makes the teeth last for unbelievably long time.

While you may think that there are probably some dentists Prahran who engage in this kind of dental practice, often you will find forensic dentists in laboratories specializing in criminal investigation. There they are actively helping in various roles such as determining if a person has been physically abused, assessment of bite mark injuries, and of course in identification of found human remains.

There are many ways that dentists can learn about the age of a person but the most effective way is by examining the cementum which is the mineralized tissue appearing on the surface of the roots of the tooth.

Sometimes a body may be so badly burnt, decayed or destroyed, that the only clearly identifiable part left are the teeth. The more common means of identification through study of the fingerprints or face are then not possible. The teeth can be matched to dental records and can help in the person being identified. This procedure is called comparative identification and involves the matching of the dental records with photographs of the mouth of the deceased person. Forensic dentists base their identification decisions on teeth size, rotations, spacing between teeth and sinus patterns. Information about the circumstances of the death or the body gives clues as to the identification of the person, and this can then be verified by the use of the dental records.

Sometimes there are no available dental records and in these cases an after death or post mortem of the teeth is accomplished. This will give a good idea of the characteristics of the deceased which in turn will help in the identification process.

Although bit mark analysis remains controversial because the accuracy of a bite mark on skin is inaccurate at best and because dental profiles are subject to change, currently there is much research being undertaken to prove that the shape of every human’s arrangement of teeth is unique. The sizes and shapes and patterns of the biting edges of the teeth are thought to be specific to the individual. This pattern can be compared with similar patterns found on bitten objects to determine the likelihood that a specific individual has bitten another. In mortal combat situations, the teeth may be the only means by which a victim can fight off his attacker. A forensic dentist might, for example, examine a patient who is a potential victim of domestic violence. He might be asked to assist with the examination of this bite mark evidence and then the bite marks may be used to positively identify the perpetrator.

A forensic dentist can assist the justice system to help answer questions about the identity and interactions between people at the scene of a crime or disaster. This sort of information collected and analyzed by such a specialized dentist Melbourne can be of the utmost value in achieving justice for the victim of a crime.