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ePaper created 2015-03-07, 18:13:20 | version 1.33.01
I special _ forensic odontology Personalidentificationviadentalrecordcompari- sonissimilartofingerprintanalysisinthatthereis,as discussed above, an element of subjectivity involved in the matching process. Where dental identification differs, and is perhaps easier to comprehend for lay people, is in the nature of the evidence being com- pared. With dental evidence, matches are commonly assessed by comparing both ante-mortem and post- mortemradiographsofeasilyidentifiableman-made (and most often handmade) restorations. Unlike the minute nature of the whorls and swirls of fingerprint evidence, dental radiograph comparisons are often soobviouslysimilarthatanyreasonablepersonisable to say that the images belong to the same person. _Other aspects Asidefromidentificationcasework,odontologists areaskedtoprovidemedico-legalopinionsonavari- etyoftopicsasoutlinedintheintroduction.Bitemark interpretation is probably the most recognisable of thesetothelayaudienceandinvolvestheassessment of injuries to the skin that are suspected of being caused by human teeth. This area of forensic practice is fraught with difficulty, as the highly subjective na- ture of the conclusions reached is almost completely based upon opinion rather than scientific research. There are so many problems associated with the in- terpretation of bite marks that to describe them all here is beyond the scope of this introductory article. Cranio-facial trauma analysis is a growing area of forensic odontology practice, and involves examina- tion of both living and deceased individuals and the provision of opinions concerning accurate anatomi- cal description of the injuries (Fig. 3), degree of force (mild, moderate severe), and direction of force appli- cation.Occasionally,opinionsarealsosoughtregard- ing the exact nature of the weapon used, although cautionneedstobeexercisedinthisregard,asunless the implement bears unique characteristics that are impartedtothebodyinterpretationwillbeverydiffi- cult. This area of odontology practice predicates a thorough knowledge of cranio-facial anatomy, the biomechanics of bone, and the effect on anatomical structures of various degrees of force. Age estimation has always been a function of the forensic odontologist, and traditionally has been baseduponinterpretationofdentaldevelopmentand comparison with published standards for tooth de- velopment (Fig. 4). The majority of age estimation work has concentrated on the ageing of children up to 15 years. Beyond this age, dental development becomes relatively unreliable, as only the third molar is available for assessment, and this tooth is notori- ously variable in its development. It has been recog- nised recently, however, that published standards for tooth development may not be as accurate as as- sumed, owing to the fact that they were constructed manydecadesagoandinotherpartsoftheworld,and thereforemaybearlittleresemblancetomodernpop- ulations. Considerable work is currently underway to address this issue, with new population datasets being established around the world. Odontologists are also researching the ability to estimatemoreaccuratelytheageofolderindividuals, around the adult/child demarcation age of 18 years. This is being achieved through the use of multifacto- rial approaches, where the third molar and various other skeletal development sites are assessed to- gether in order to arrive at an estimate (Figs. 5a–c). This is seen as important research in light of the in- creasing need to determine the legal status of indi- viduals such as asylum seekers, accused human traf- fickers who may be children and risk being incarcer- ated in an adult prison, child soldiers, and victims of sexual assault in developing countries, all of whom are unlikely to possess proof of age documentation. It has been shown that more than half of all cases of child abuse involve cranio-facial injuries, perhaps owing in part to the significance of the face and mouth in communication and nutrition. Forensic odontologists are rarely involved in these difficult cases,butdespitethisplayanimportantroleininjury description and providing help with determination of causation. All of the principles involved in cranio- Figs. 5a–c_Multiple development sites used for age estimation of late teenage individuals: in this case, the third molar, the medial clavicular epiphysis, and the spheno-occipital synchondrosis, all of which are useful age indicators in the late teenage years. 36 I cone beam1_2015 Fig. 5a