Forensic dentists examine dental evidence to identify a deceased person’s age, gender, ethnicity, and possible attackers. They compare teeth to archived records and take casts and impressions to match suspects’ dental records. Bite marks are not always clear, and their findings are only part of the evidence used in criminal trials.
A forensic dentist is someone who examines dental evidence that can be used to determine the details of a crime, such as in a murder or assault case. Most forensic dentistry involves the study of teeth found in skeletal remains, although bite marks and other forms of evidence relating to the teeth may be examined by your dentist. Forensic dentists specialize in dental identification; the process of identifying a cadaver based on dental records.
Bite marks and other dental features are like fingerprints and are unique to each individual. A forensic dentist can examine a deceased person’s teeth and compare them to archived dental records to help identify a body. This is most often done when decomposition has made other forms of identification impossible.
Even when exact identification of a body is impossible, a forensic dentist can use dental remains to find out a lot about the deceased. Dental tests can be used to determine the age, gender, and sometimes even ethnicity of the deceased. Many times this can help police identify the body by simply eliminating a large number of possibilities.
Identifying the bite mark is also an important aspect of what a forensic dentist does. When the police find a possible bite mark on a body, the dentist will try to get a saliva sample from the mark. Many times this can help the police obtain a DNA profile of the attacker. Next, the forensic dentist will photograph the bite marks to preserve evidence as these marks fade over time.
After obtaining possible DNA evidence and taking photographs, a forensic dentist will take casts, impressions and bite mark molds. All of these techniques can be used to make an impression of the suspect’s teeth. If and when a suspect is arrested and the case goes to a criminal trial, the dentist is usually called in as an expert witness to explain how the bite marks on the victim match the suspect’s dental records.
Forensic dentistry is not always an exact science. Bite marks are often not crystal clear, and damage to bite marks due to environmental factors or decomposition can affect the quality of the mark. Sometimes a bit mark can leave only a partial imprint, which can also make identifying a suspect based on dental evidence much more difficult. Many times the findings of a forensic dentist are only part of the evidence used to help convict a suspect of a violent crime.
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