Preliminary study on the tongue-based forensic identification

Abstract

By means of the present study we intend to analyse lingual morphological aspects and demonstrate their importance and reliability as main criteria with force of evidence in using forensic dentistry to identify a person. To that end, we conducted the examination of 270 female and male adults between 21 and 40 years old, whose tongues were photographed front and side view. The purpose of the direct examination of the tongue was to emphasize morphological features: shape, type, characteristics of the longitudinal medial septum and the related grooves, as well as the lingual apex type, all of these being preserved using the alginate moulding, which helped taking the impression of the dorsal surface through direct application (from the level of the oral commissures up to the lingual tip) and that of the lateral lingual edges up to the lingual apex level. Thus, we demonstrated that the lingual impression, next to its photographic image, may constitute secure methods for forensic dentistry identification, showing that the inspection of the tongue is a real proof of life and genetic independence, in the sense that there are no two tongues with shape and texture, since lingual morphological aspects are difficult to copy and display stability over time.