Dental Expert Research Articles

Unidentified bodies/skulls found in Danish waters in the period 1992–1996

In the period 1992–1996 a total of 89 unidentified bodies/skulls found in Danish waters were investigated at the three University Institutes of Forensic Medicine in Denmark. Males constituted 79% of the total material. Open water was the finding place in half the cases, about one-fourth was found on shore and another fourth in a harbor basin. Totally 73 bodies and one skull were identified. Danes constituted 57% of the material. Almost all non-Danes originated from countries with borders to the waters surrounding Denmark. The cause of death was in 71% stated as presumably/possibly drowning, in 5% as severe lesions (precipitation) and in 25% it could not be solved. The manner of death was in non-Danes most often stated as an accident (56%), and according to this the finding place in non-Danes most frequently was the open water (66%). In Danes suicide predominated (71%) and the finding place in Danes was almost equally distributed among open water, shores and harbors, respectively. Among the totally 74 identified cases, 83% of the total material, an initial suggestion of the identity based on effects found on the body was possible in 43 cases (58%). The final identification was performed by means of forensic dental examination in total 58 cases (78%), in Danes in 93% and in non-Danes in 59%. In the remaining 16 cases one or more of the following contributed to the final identification: information about dental condition, clothing, personal papers, X-ray photos, jewelry, tattoos/scars and fingerprints. The importance of a close collaboration between the police, the forensic pathologist and the forensic dental expert in order to reach a fair number of positive identifications is emphasized.

AOA Names Dental Expert to Accreditation Committee

AOA Names Dental Expert to Accreditation Committee

The falsification of an odontogram

In March 1979, the putrified corpse of a naked female person, wrapped in plastic bags, was discovered in a mountainous region of Switzerland. Identification was difficult as the victim's husband had falsified the odontogram given to him by his wife's dentist for the use of the Swiss police. This exceptional case stands as proof that, if the dental expert receives information directly through close relatives of the victim, it is absolutely essential for him to know the treating dentist's name enabling him to obtain, if necessary, complementary information, such as X-ray pictures, detailed description of dental care provided, etc. as well as confirmation of what he had been told. In the above mentioned case, the falsification was finally discovered and the victim was identified by means of cross-checking on information as described.

The Dentist as Expert Witness

There are few places of stress more formidable than the witness chair in a court of law. After minutes, hours, days, and perhaps even weeks of testimony have dragged on, expert witnesses can find themselves drained to the point of collapse. Wide latitude is given opposing attorneys in their cross-, direct, and redirect examination of expert witnesses. In the final analysis, the dental witness should be capable of defending his opinion and should be allowed the time and opportunity to prepare for testimony. Recognizing that personal knowledge and qualifications, the reasons for opinions, and other matters on which opinions and sources are based may be subjected to the most rigid cross-examination, the dental expert must be prepared and confident so that jury and/or judge may properly determine the weight to be given expert dental testimony.

Dental identification: Certainty V Probability

The article attempts to explain that the dental expert cannot base his identification of an unknown body on the relative frequency of occurrence of any singular dental feature, its particular discrimination potential. Instead, he must make a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the combination of features involved. The author submits his thoughts on the latter and the guidelines which he, so far, has established for himself.

Analysis of tooth marks in a homicide case Observations by means of visual description, stereo-photography, scanning electron microscopy and stereometric graphic plotting

In 1957 a woman was murdered in Oslo. Her left breast exhibited tooth marks. A man was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment partly because of the dental evidence. He never admitted guilt and filed a petition for retrial. The present author was appointed as new dental expert. The material consisted of the fixed breast, models of the bite mark and models of the teeth of the convict, and several photographs. By means of visual examination, a magnifying glass, a lens stereoscope and a stereomicroscope characteristic details were noted. Stereoscopic picture pairs were taken, the material was studied by means of scanning electron microscopy and a stereometricgraphic plotting method permitting the outline of the tooth mark or the biting edge of a tooth to be registered in great detail in all three dimensions in the form of a contour map. This method has not previously been applied in the analysis of tooth marks in human skin. These examinations revealed no discrepancies but showed many corresponding characteristic features between the tooth marks and the teeth of the convict, resulting in the conclusion that it is highly probable that the tooth marks in the breast were made by the teeth of the convict.

Statistical Problems in Dental Identification

The dental expert at present may have difficulty in answering a question about how unusual is a particular combination of tooth characteristics. This paper describes a survey designed to answer, at least in part, such a question and discusses how the results might be presented in Court.

General anesthesia for oral operations

B ECAUSE of different war tactics as shown in the present war in Europe with airplanes and bombings of cities and towns, there are civilian as well as military casualties demanding all forms of surgery including oral surgery. The experiences in England have changed the aspect of hospitalization from first aid stations to actual care of the wounded in the organized general hospital of cities and towns. In the last war dentistry was done primarily at the training stations and base hospitals by the dental expert, while the oral surgery was mostly performed by the general surgeon. Oral surgery was developed at this time when the operating dentists were taken into the army medical corps for the first time in medical history. Postwar organization of dentistry and training in dental schools have developed oral surgery to a high degree. As a result in the leading hospitals of the country, we now have well-established oral surgical departments. Anesthesia. has a somewhat similar history, insofar that only since the last war have anesthesia departments in the leading hospitals been organized. These departments now include anesthesia for oral surgery. Oral surgery demands a specialized type of anesthesia because of technical difficulties, and the close proximity of the oral cavity to the respiratory tract. The chief anesthetic problem in oral surgery is the relief of fear and pain and safeguarding the paGent, from the many complications which are possible.