Superimposing Images of the Smile on Carbonised Remains for Human Identification Purposes

Abstract

The easy access to electronic devices with high-quality cameras and the widespread use of social network have been changing the forensic dental and anthropological analysis in human identification massively, especially related to dental and facial superimposition methods. The methodology of smile superimposition consists of the comparison of ante mortem (AM) and post-mortem (PM) smile images showing dental traits especially the superior incisor and canines. These methods are an important forensic tool especially when there are no medical and or dental records. The present paper reports a case of a positive human identification using the smile line and superimposition of the teeth techniques on carbonized human dental remains. A carbonized body of male adult found in the trunk of a car was send to the Medico-Legal Institute, where forensic dental and anthropological analysis were carried out. The family of the victim could only provide two smiling pictures of the man from social media. The dental superimposition showed concordance between the AM and PM photograph smile lines, matching dental traits such as incisive dental crowding and respective angle as well as the presence of white spots. The aim of this report is to highlight the effectiveness of the use of smile superimposition images to identify heavily carbonized human remains especially when no other data is available.