Download PDF
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Journal of Health and Allied Sciences NU 2022; 12(01): 7-12
DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1731117
Review Article

Oral Cavity: A Forensic Kaleidoscope

Deepthi Darwin
1   Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences (ABSMIDS), Nitte (deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Soundarya Sakthivel
1   Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences (ABSMIDS), Nitte (deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Renita Lorina Castelino
1   Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences (ABSMIDS), Nitte (deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Gogineni Subhas Babu
1   Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences (ABSMIDS), Nitte (deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Mohamed Faizal Asan
1   Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences (ABSMIDS), Nitte (deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India
,
Anand Shankar Sarkar 
1   Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences (ABSMIDS), Nitte (deemed to be University), Mangalore, Karnataka, India
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Forensic odontology is an integral part of the multidisciplinary field of forensic sciences that requires specialized training and perceptive knowledge for its application in full potential. Forensic odontology deals with the evidence pertaining to the oral and paraoral structures. Dentists are equipped with knowledge of orofacial structures and their variations prevailing among different ancestry. By implicating the history of dental treatments to the identification process, dentists extract unique and accurate information that aids in forensic identification. Crimes such as child abuse and domestic violence are often identified by the dentists during routine dental examinations and this can be used as an evidence to discern malefactors in such cases. This article provides a collective review of applications and methods in forensic odontology that helps legal authorities in the identification of individuals.

Keywords

forensic dentistry - disaster victims - inventions - dental prosthesis - three-dimensional printing


Publication History

Article published online:
14 June 2021

© 2021. Nitte (Deemed to be University). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India

 

  • References

  • 1 Krishan K, Kanchan T, Garg AK. Dental evidence in forensic identification - an overview, methodology and present status. Open Dent J 2015; 9: 250-256
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Sha SK, Rao BV, Rao MS, Kumari KVH, Chinna SK, Sahu D. Are tooth prints a hard tissue equivalence of finger print in mass disaster: a rationalized review. J Pharm Bioallied Sci 2017; 9 (Suppl. 01) S29-S33
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Chugh A, Narwal A. Oral mark in the application of an individual identification: From ashes to truth. J Forensic Dent Sci 2017; 9 (02) 51-55
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Ata-Ali J, Ata-Ali F. Forensic dentistry in human identification: a review of the literature. J Clin Exp Dent 2014; 6 (02) e162-e167
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Christopher V, Murthy S, Ashwinirani SR, Prasad K, Girish S, Vinit SP. Can dead man tooth do tell tales? Tooth prints in forensic identification. J Forensic Dent Sci 2017; 9 (01) 47
    Google Scholar
  • 6 Manica S, Forgie AH. Forensic dentistry now and in the future. Dent Update 2017; 44 (06) 522-530
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Costacurta M, Benavoli D, Arcudi G, Docimo R. Oral and dental signs of child abuse and neglect. Oral Implantol (Rome) 2016; 8 (2-3) 68-73
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Marsden P. The forensic odontologist: roles and responsibilities. Dental Nursing 2010; 6 (12) 710-713
    CrossrefGoogle Scholar
  • 9 De Valck E. Protocols for dental AM data management in disaster victim identification. J Forensic Sci Criminal Inves 2017; 4 (04) 1-9
    Google Scholar
  • 10 Pretty IA. Forensic dentistry: 2. Bitemarks and bite injuries. Dent Update 2008; 35 (01) 48-50 , 53–54, 57–58 passim
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Johnson A, Gandhi B, Joseph SE. A morphological study of tongue and its role in forensics odontology. J Forensic Sci & Criminal Inves 2018; 7 (05) 1-5
    Google Scholar
  • 12 Jeddy N, Ravi S, Radhika T. Current trends in forensic odontology. J Forensic Dent Sci 2017; 9 (03) 115-119
    Google Scholar
  • 13 Jain A, Chowdhary R. Palatal rugae and their role in forensic odontology. J Investig Clin Dent 2014; 5 (03) 171-178
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 De Angelis D, Riboli F, Gibelli D, Cappella A, Cattaneo C. Palatal rugae as an individualising marker: reliability for forensic odontology and personal identification. Sci Justice 2012; 52 (03) 181-184
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Divakar KP. Forensic odontology: the new dimension in dental analysis. Int J Biomed Sci 2017; 13 (01) 1-5
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Dineshshankar J, Ganapathi N, Yoithapprabhunath TR, Maheswaran T, Kumar MS, Aravindhan R. Lip prints: role in forensic odontology. J Pharm Bioallied Sci 2013; 5 (Suppl. 01) S95-S97
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Patidar KA, Parwani R, Wanjari S. Effects of high temperature on different restorations in forensic identification: dental samples and mandible. J Forensic Dent Sci 2010; 2 (01) 37-43
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Hinchliffe J. Forensic odontology, Part 1. Dental identification. Br Dent J 2011; 210 (05) 219-224
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Manjunath BC, Chandrashekar BR, Mahesh M. Vatchala Rani RM. DNA profiling and forensic dentistry–a review of the recent concepts and trends. J Forensic Leg Med 2011; 18 (05) 191-197
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Shamim T. Deoxyribonucleic acid profiling in forensic dental identification. Indian J Hum Genet 2013; 19 (04) 513
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Lake AW, James H, Berketa JW. Disaster victim identification: quality management from an odontology perspective. Forensic Sci Med Pathol 2012; 8 (02) 157-163
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Mishra SK, Mahajan H, Sakorikar R, Jain A. Role of prosthodontist in forensic odontology. A literature review. J Forensic Dent Sci 2014; 6 (03) 154-159
    Google Scholar
  • 23 Berketa J, James H, Marino V. Dental implant changes following incineration. Forensic Sci Int 2011; 207 (1-3) 50-54
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Bonavilla JD, Bush MA, Bush PJ, Pantera EA. Identification of incinerated root canal filling materials after exposure to high heat incineration. J Forensic Sci 2008; 53 (02) 412-418
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Bush MA, Miller RG, Prutsman-Pfeiffer J, Bush PJ. Identification through X-ray fluorescence analysis of dental restorative resin materials: a comprehensive study of noncremated, cremated, and processed-cremated individuals. J Forensic Sci 2007; 52 (01) 157-165
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Millet C, Jeannin C. Incorporation of microchips to facilitate denture identification by radio frequency tagging. J Prosthet Dent 2004; 92 (06) 588-590
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Kareker N, Aras M, Chitre V. A review on denture marking systems: a mark in forensic dentistry. J Indian Prosthodont Soc 2014; 14 (Suppl. 01) 4-13
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Farrukh F, Mânica S. Fashion for a reason: oral jewellery to aid forensic odontology. J Forensic Leg Med 2019; 66: 38-43
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Lin HW, Wieland AM, Ostrower ST. Child abuse presenting as oral cavity bruising. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2009; 141 (02) 290-291
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Khanna S, Dhaimade P. Exploring the 3rd dimension: application of 3D printing in forensic odontology. J Forensic Sci Crim Investig 2017; 3 (03) 1-3
    Google Scholar