Journal of Forensic Odonto-Stomatology (JFOS) ISSN: 2219-6749
Vol 32, No 1. July 2014
Are they dermatological lesions, bottle top burns or bite mark injuries?.
J. Weeratna
Bite marks can be considered as a patterned injury where identification of the causative tool will lead to the identification of the perpetrator. When patterned injuries resembling bite marks are seen on the victim or an assailant of a potential crime, all efforts must be made to carry out an immediate and proper investigation. The classical human bite mark pattern will appear as an oval or circular injury. However there are several dermatological lesions which can be misinterpreted or confused with bite marks. Similarly scars left as a result of contact with hot objects can sometimes bear a resemblance to bite marks. To the untrained eye, identification of bite mark injuries is not an easy task. Since bite marks are common in cases of child abuse and neglect, it is recommended that dental surgeons with forensic background become members of the child abuse and neglect management teams. During investigation of bite marks in alleged cases of child abuse and neglect, it is imperative to compare the injury with dentition of all the persons who have direct access to the child including siblings and playmates. Information revealed through the forensic analysis of bite marks not only helps in the criminal investigation but also in the clinical management of the persons concern
(J Forensic Odontostomatol 2014;32;1:1-8)
F. Bouchardet, M. I. de Souza Gruppioni Cortes, J. Vilela Bastos, I. Costa de Morais Caldas, A. Franco, D. N. Pessoa Vieira
Introduction: The evaluation of orofacial damage is an emerging branch in the forensic sciences, specifically in forensic odontology and medicine. One of the major limitations during the evaluation of forensic orofacial damages is establishing the consolidation date of acquired lesions. The consolidation date is defined as the moment from which orofacial damages are considered irreversible. Aim: To stress the relevance of knowing the consolidation date in children who underwent orofacial trauma, and to enhance forensic expertise on the evaluation of dentomaxillofacial damages. Material and methods: Ninety-six patients, aged between 11 and 31 years old, treated at the dental clinics of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, were selected for forensic orofacial evaluation. All the patients presented at least one traumatically avulsed tooth and a temporary partial denture. Results: The mean age for the traumatic avulsion was 10,3 years old. The mean time for the placement of a prosthesis was 2,9 years after the initial consultation. The mean time for the use of prosthesis was 2,2 years. No significant differences were observed regarding orofacial damage outcomes between patients younger or older than 18 years of age. It was observed that patients using temporary removable partial dentures presented a 3,6-fold greater possibility of developing socially significant sequels if compared with patients using temporary fixed partial dentures. Conclusion: Knowing the consolidation date of orofacial damageenables the prediction of the potential development of social sequels in children and adolescents who isaster victim identification (DVI) is an intensive and demanding task involving specialists from various disciplines. The forensic dentist is one of the key persons who underwent traumatic dental avulsion
(J Forensic Odontostomatol 2014;32;1:9-14)
Estimation of stature in a young adult indian population using the Carrea’s index.
A. Rekhi, C. Marya, R. Nagpal, S. Oberoi
The stature or height of an individual is useful for assisting in forensic identifications. Teeth can act as a valuable tool for stature estimation when only the skull is available. Carrea’s index estimates the stature of a person from the dimensions of lower anterior teeth. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of the Carrea’s index in an Indian population. Data was collected from plaster models of 125 undergraduate students for examination. Each hemiarch was considered separately equaling 250 inferior hemi-arches, which were divided according to the dental alignment into normal, crowded and diastema and the measurements (Arch and Chord) were made with a ‘divider caliper’. A statistically significant difference between the types of dental arch was obtained for both males and females with regards to the different dental alignments; where normal dentition (94.03%) obtained the highest success rates for males and crowded dentition (87.87%) for females. Statistically significant differences were also found between the types of arches for both right and left side (p<0.001; p=0.004). The presence of diastema reduced the success rates when compared in terms of both sex and side of the arch. It was concluded that the Carrea ́s index is a reliable method for height estimation in arches with normal and crowded dentitions, useful for both sexes, and for both right and left side of the arch. However, the method was not reliable for hemiarches with a diastema
(J Forensic Odontostomatol 2014;32;1:15-23)
