How Forensic Dentistry Works.

I personally find it amazing how a forensic dentist can identify a person just by using dental records.

The deceased people who are most often identified through dental records are those who were victims of fires, this is do to the fact that the tooth enamel is hardest substance of the human body and can sustain temperatures of more than 2,000 degrees. Teeth that have been through this kind of heat can be very fragile and could shrink but if used carefully they can still be used in identification.

To identify a person the forensic dentist needs a copy of the deceased persons dental records. In case of multiple people the forensic dentist receives a list of possible dental records and compares them to the teeth in hopes to find a match. A forensic dentist that is working on a corps were the teeth are still in tacked requires them to work in the morgue. The best way to compare teeth is through X-Rays, but sometimes those aren't available, so notation on the members charts can also tell the dentist if they are a match.

Identifying a person without any dental records can be very difficult but things such as broken teeth, missing teeth or anything that may be recognizable by family and friends can be helpful. Also things about a persons lifestyle can be helpful in determining the deceased person such as if they smoked a pipe or was a bagpipe player they will have a distinctive wear pattern.

In addition to dental records, the forensic dentist can pull DNA from the pulp located in the center of the tooth. Unlike the enamel, the pulp can become damaged.

Dental Identification is often the last resort in trying to identify a deceased person.


*Information was found here