Forensic Odontology Principles and Practice

Forensic odontology refers to the science and practice of dentistry which may be applied to help solve litigation in both criminal and civil cases. It is a specialist branch of dentistry that assists the legal system in the handling, analysis and interpretation of dental evidence.

Forensic Odontology: Principles and Practice pulls together the very latest research findings and advice on best practice and essential skills, including aspects of forensic science that provide a well-rounded educational experience for the reader. Chapters provide coverage of anatomy and morphology, mortuary techniques, physical anthropology, applied forensic sciences, child and elder abuse, and facial approximation. The text introduces the various topics and discusses underpinning philosophies without being an exhaustive historical treatise. Appropriate case studies are used to highlight issues, and references to current research are provided to stimulate further reading and research.

Written by experienced practitioners in the field, this informative introductory text is invaluable to graduate and undergraduate students, as well as experienced dentists, wishing to gain experience or pursue a career in forensic odontology. This text will be a welcome addition to the forensic odontological libraries of all practicing forensic odontologists.

Contributors xiv

Dedications xvi

Preface xviii

1 Foundation knowledge in forensic odontology 1
Jules A. Kieser, Jane A. Taylor, Zaf Khouri and Maurice Churton

Introduction 1

A short history of forensic odontology 2

Forensic odontology in Australia 5

Forensic odontology in New Zealand 10

Working as an odontologist 19

References 20

2 Jurisprudence and forensic practice 23
David L. Ranson

Legal systems and the healthcare community 23

Types of law 28

The coronial system 32

The investigators within the coroner’s jurisdiction 38

Court procedures and the expert medical witness 41

Report writing 57

Reference 63

Recommended reading 63

3 Anatomy and morphology 64
Mark Leedham and Erin F. Hutchinson

Dental anatomy and morphology 64

Osteology of the juvenile and adult craniofacial complex 77

References 130

4 Forensic pathology 134
David L. Ranson and Norman Firth

The role of the forensic pathologist 134

The medico‐legal autopsy 135

Radiological examination 140

External examination 141

Internal examination 144

Post‐autopsy procedures 154

Injuries 155

Injury and cause of death 165

References 166

Recommended reading 166

5 Human identification 167
Stephen Knott

Human identification 167

Methods of identification 168

Human dentition 169

Role of the primary identifiers 171

Ante‐mortem dental data 173

Radiographic images: facial sinuses and anatomical features within the bone 176

Superimposition 178

Facial reconstruction 179

References 183

6 Mortuary techniques 185
Alain G. Middleton

The dental post‐mortem 185

Components of a dental post‐mortem 186

Equipment – basic requirements 186

‘Tools of the trade’ 188

Radiographic equipment 192

CT scanning equipment 192

Teeth for DNA analysis 192

The ‘what and how’ 193

Recording of the findings 197

Procedure – putting it all together 203

Reporting recording of results 207

Reference 208

7 Age assessment 209
Richard Bassed, Jeremy Graham and Jane A. Taylor

Introduction 209

Some history of age assessment 211

A brief review of dental development 212

Developments in dental‐age assessment 214

Current age‐estimation methods 215

Australasian specific research in dental age estimation 217

Concluding remarks 221

References 224

8 Bite marks 228
Alex Forrest and Alistair Soon

Introduction 228

Describing bite marks 229

The process of biting and how it relates to bite marks 235

The individuality of the dentition and its transfer to the bite mark 236

Imaging in bite mark cases 238

Undertaking the case 249

Presenting bite mark evidence in court 273

Sources of potential distortion and error in bite mark cases 275

Limitations of bite mark analysis and reporting the outcomes of bite mark comparisons 277

Can we determine the age of the biter from the injury arch dimensions? 279

Can we visually age bite marks? 280

Swabbing for DNA 280

Conclusion 281

Future directions 282

References 283

9 Forensic odontology in disaster victim identification 286
Hugh G. Trengrove

Disasters and disaster planning 286

DVI phase 1: the Scene phase 298

DVI phase 2: the Post‐mortem phase 310

DVI phase 3: the Ante‐mortem phase 323

DVI phase 4: the Reconciliation phase 327

DVI phase 5: the Debrief 331

References 335

10 Forensic anthropology 336
Denise Donlon, Russell Lain and Jane A. Taylor

The scope of forensic anthropology 336

Assessment of ancestry 336

Assessment of sex 339

Sexual dimorphism in the dentition 342

Assessment of age 343

Comparative anatomy 344

Historical remains 347

Conclusion 351

References 351

11 Applied forensic sciences 355
David C. Kieser, Terry Lyn Eberhardt, Gemma Dickson and J. Neil Waddell

Introduction 355

Crime scene protocols 356

Forensic entomology 358

Forensic microbial aquatic taphonomy 363

The use of energy‐dispersive spectroscopy in forensic investigations 369

References 375

12 Odontology opinions 377
Denice Higgins and Helen James

Introduction 377

General principles 377

Types of opinions 379

Report writing 399

References 400

13 Forensic odontology management 402
Helen James and Denice Higgins

Introduction 402

Administration 402

Education 414

Research 415

Conclusion 416

References 417

14 Application of post‐mortem computed tomography to forensic odontology 419
Richard Bassed and Eleanor Bott

Introduction 419

Computed tomography and medico‐legal death investigation 421

Application of PMCT to odontology 423

Computed tomography and Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) 428

Conclusion 435

References 435

Index 438