Dental materials as an aid for victim identification: examination of calcined remains by SEM/EDS

Abstract

Detection and identification of human remains in situations in which they are calcined, disarticulated, and fragmented may be a challenging task. In such situations the non-biological materials that may be present in the dentition can provide the best evidence available for potential identification. Four human jaw segments were utilized. A known combination of dental resins was placed in each segment, when possible. Other restorations, pre-existing in the cadavers, were retained. The jaw segments were cremated in a commercial cremation oven for 2.5 hrs at 1010C. Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) was used to analyze the dentition and fragmented debris. Analysis with SEM/EDS demonstrated the ability to confirm brand of known dental resins placed in each cadaver. In addition, pre-existing materials in each jaw segment were profiled and a likely brand name suggested. It was shown that microscopic fragments of heat-altered materials could be identified and classified, adding another level of certainty in victim identification.