FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY History 66 A D Nero the

FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY

History • 66 A. D. Nero, the Roman Emperor. • Nero's mother Agrippina had her soldiers kill Lollia Paulina, with instructions to bring back her head as proof that she was dead. • Agrippina, unable to positively identify the head, examined the front teeth and on finding the discolored front tooth confirmed the identity of the victim

History • The first forensic dentist in the United States was Paul Revere who was known for the identification of fallen revolutionary soldiers • 1954, Texas burglary scene with bite mark in cheese (Doyle v. State) • 1975, California sexual assault with bites to victim’s nose (People v. Marx)

Functions of Forensic Odontology • • • Id unknown human remains through dental records. Assist at the scene of a mass disaster. Age estimations of both living and deceased persons. Analysis of bite marks found on victims of attack. ID of bite marks in other substances e. g. wood, duct tape, pencils, leather and foodstuffs. • Analysis of weapon marks using the principles of bite mark analysis. • Presentation of bite and weapon mark evidence in court. • Building a picture of lifestyle and diet at an archaeological site.

Role in Mass Disaster Management • Establish hierarchy of leadership • Procure and implement computer data base • Establish ante-mortem team • Establish post-mortem team • Determine protocol

Identification of Human Remains • Post-Mortem resection of non-viewable remains • Radiography of intact or fragmented jaws • Charting of post-mortem examination • Obtaining and charting of ante-mortem records • Comparison of data

POSTMORTUM

ANTEMORTUM

POSTMORTUM ANTEMORTUM

• A match?

Details for Comparison 1. Fillings 2. Extractions 3. Surface structure/root configuration 4. Adjacent teeth 5. Twisted/tilted teeth

Cryogenic grinding to get DNA

Teeth Impressions • Can be left in food, gum and skin

Degree of Bite • hemorrhage -- small bleeding spot • abrasion -- undamaging mark on skin • contusion -- ruptured blood vessel, bruise (*most common) • laceration -- punctured or torn skin • incision -- neat puncture of skin • avulsion -- removal of skin • artifact -- bitten-off piece of body

Why do people bite? • A sign of perp seeking to degrade the victim while also achieving complete domination. • Can be found on a suspect when a victim attempts to defend him/herself.

BITE MARK ANALYSIS • • Scaled photography of bite mark evidence Scaled photography of dental casts Clinical comparisons Computer comparisons

Teeth Impressions • Connect suspect to bite mark: