Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Teeth: Fingerprints in your mouth?

We all know that our fingerprints are a surefire way to identify a person. Did you know that your teeth can be used to identify you as well? Every person has unique crevices and markings on their teeth, when you bite something or someone, they can actually match up your bite the same as they would a finger or footprint. This kind of forensic dentistry is used to identify persons who are victims of crimes or accidents. They also use this kind of forensic dentistry to identify criminals. Ted Bundy was identified by teeth marks he left on one of his victims. It is even possible for them to access your dental records to find out what kind of dentistry you’ve had done to try and change your bite. Aside from the criminal aspect of dental forensics, it has also been used in identifying ancient human or animal remains. It’s just interesting to me all the things we don’t realize that make us individual and unique. Any thoughts?

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