Odontology

### Odontology

Deals with the examination of dental evidence including teeth, mouth, and jaws and the presentation of expert evidence in a course of law

### Impact/importance of odontology?

* Identification of human remains in crimes and mass disasters
* Estimation of the age of a person living or dead
* Examination of the dentition and face of a person suspected to be the victim of abuse

### Challenges? Validity?

* The body can heal from bite marks
* Unlike fingerprints, teeth change greatly throughout a person’s lifetime.
* They can result in the creation of a unique dental profile for an individual but may also prove to be a false negative if much time has passed between the collection of evidence and the collection of dental standards from the suspect.

### Common traits of bitemarks

Common traits of bite marks are:

• Semi-circular

• Two opposing U-shaped arches separated by a space at their bases

• A series of round bruises around the arches

• Possible small cuts