One particular forensics area where one can specialise might be forensic dentistry. A forensic odontologist or dentist, just like additional areas associated with forensics, functions to help support law enforcement services clear up crime and to provide expert testimony in the court. A forensic odontologist are usually necessary to help in the identification of individual human remains, mass body fatalities or in helping to solve cases of abuse for example.
Forensic dentistry is not new and it has been in use since 1870. However, the first published case was in 1954 in Texas in which the bite marks on a bit of cheese was used to demonstrate that the suspect was at a particular scene. Bite mark comparisons play a big part in the life of a forensic odontologist and bite marks can be located on any part on the body as well as on objects.
Teeth can reveal enough detailed information online, including a person's DNA. A person's teeth will help reveal a person's age and their identity in addition to whether or not they are responsible for bite marks on a body. Dental records can also be matched to post-mortem photographs but the analysis of bite marks is not without a few critics.
This is because bite marks may change over time and is dependent on where on the human body the bite is, whether or not the victim is living or deceased and whether there is any other tissue damage. There are also problems associated with similarities in dentition between individuals. This is why great care needs to be taken in forensic dentistry when recording evidence, for example, taking photographs, measurements or impressions. In addition to photographs, one technique involves dusting a bite mark with fingerprint powder, using tape to lift the print and then transferring this impression onto acetate. However, this latter method not suggested to be very reliable and can be subjective given it is traced by hand and can be done badly or altered. Photocopies and photographs are thought to be more reliable.
More recently, photocopies are being replaced with digital techniques like the 2D polyline method which are regarded as more reliable. This process uses software such as Adobe Photoshop, and straight lines are drawn between certain points to determine exact measurements. Or, a model might be painted in and measurements taken using 13 different parameters.
For you to pursue the life of the forensic odontologist in forensic dentistry, you have to have dental qualifications and in addition, further experience and/or qualifications in forensic sciences.
Forensic dentistry is not new and it has been in use since 1870. However, the first published case was in 1954 in Texas in which the bite marks on a bit of cheese was used to demonstrate that the suspect was at a particular scene. Bite mark comparisons play a big part in the life of a forensic odontologist and bite marks can be located on any part on the body as well as on objects.
Teeth can reveal enough detailed information online, including a person's DNA. A person's teeth will help reveal a person's age and their identity in addition to whether or not they are responsible for bite marks on a body. Dental records can also be matched to post-mortem photographs but the analysis of bite marks is not without a few critics.
This is because bite marks may change over time and is dependent on where on the human body the bite is, whether or not the victim is living or deceased and whether there is any other tissue damage. There are also problems associated with similarities in dentition between individuals. This is why great care needs to be taken in forensic dentistry when recording evidence, for example, taking photographs, measurements or impressions. In addition to photographs, one technique involves dusting a bite mark with fingerprint powder, using tape to lift the print and then transferring this impression onto acetate. However, this latter method not suggested to be very reliable and can be subjective given it is traced by hand and can be done badly or altered. Photocopies and photographs are thought to be more reliable.
More recently, photocopies are being replaced with digital techniques like the 2D polyline method which are regarded as more reliable. This process uses software such as Adobe Photoshop, and straight lines are drawn between certain points to determine exact measurements. Or, a model might be painted in and measurements taken using 13 different parameters.
For you to pursue the life of the forensic odontologist in forensic dentistry, you have to have dental qualifications and in addition, further experience and/or qualifications in forensic sciences.
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