Dental Pulp in Forensic Dentistry (original) (raw)
Related papers
Survival of Dental Pulp Tissue under Different Climatic Conditions: A Review
IOSR Journals , 2019
The established importance of Forensic Dentistry for human identification, mainly when there is little remaining material to perform such identification (e.g., in fires, explosions, decomposing bodies or skeletonized bodies), has led dentists working with forensic investigation to identify the deceased individual and the culprit in medico-legal cases. The blood group once it is formed in an individual can't be changed in their life time and dental pulp is protected by the surrounding calcified structures namely enamel and dentin, so blood group and dental pulp use has its own significance in identity. This review discusses about the survival of dental pulp under different climatic conditions.
Forensic Dentistry – the key to the truth
Stomatoloski glasnik Srbije, 2017
Summary Introduction Human organism can be identified through testing and analysis of DNA sequences. The most common source of DNA for analysis is blood, soft tissues, hair, bones and teeth. Teeth represent a tissue of choice for analysis in those cases where there is high degree of degradation of other tissues. Hard tooth structure provides protection and preservation of DNA molecules. The aim was to investigate which group of teeth and dental tissue (pulp or hard dental tissues) has the greatest amount of DNA. Material and method Forty-five extracted teeth were analyzed. In the first examination 30 teeth were divided into the three groups (10 teeth each): first group were incisors, second premolars and third molars. The teeth were measured before and after the procedure of DNA isolation using special scale with precision of 0.02-0.000005ng. The procedure included grinding teeth in a blender and DNA isolation using commercial kits (isolation with magnetic particles). For the second...
The tooth for molecular analysis and identification : a forensic approach
The Journal of forensic odonto-stomatology, 2012
The aim of this study is to optimize laboratory preparation of teeth for DNA identification. By sectioning the tooth topographically into two different radicular portions, it was analyzed whether these portions of mineralized tissue differ in the quantity and quality of DNA they contain. 25 teeth were subject to different experimental conditions and total DNA was quantified for each individual tooth's radicular portion: apical and remaining root, according to a 2003 study by Gaytemenn and Sweet. We verified, with statistically significant figures, that the apical portion of the tooth is that which contains the greatest quantity of DNA. Different analytical procedures were studied for various polymorphic markers to evaluate the quality of the DNA. We concluded that the tooth is topographically distinct in both DNA quantity and quality. The tooth's apical portion is the preferential choice in sample preparation of dental mineralized tissue for molecular analysis and identifica...
Tooth as a Source of DNA in Forensic or Investigative Genetics: An Overview
Journal of Forensic Dental Sciences
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the genetic code of most organisms including humans. In the last few years, DNA analysis methods are applied to forensic cases for human identification which is termed forensic or investigative genetics. It is often challenging to obtain and interpret DNA from routine samples like blood in severely decomposed or disfigured bodies recovered from incineration, immersion, trauma, mutilation, and decomposition as in incidents of fire, explosion, or murder. The tooth can survive any extreme environment with minimum risk of contamination making it a valuable alternative source of DNA in such cases. Tooth structures like the enamel (amelogenin protein), dentin, cementum, pulp, and adherent tissues like bone and periodontal fibers are sources from which DNA can be obtained. Various methods have been described for DNA extraction. There are numerous applications of DNA analysis like identification of the deceased or missing victim or the unknown culprit from a c...
Dental Evidence in Forensic Identification – An Overview, Methodology and Present Status
The Open Dentistry Journal, 2015
Forensic odontology is primarily concerned with the use of teeth and oral structures for identification in a legal context. Various forensic odontology techniques help in the identification of the human remains in incidents such as terrorists’ attacks, airplane, train and road accidents, fires, mass murders, and natural disasters such as tsunamis, earth quakes and floods, etc. (Disaster Victim Identification-DVI). Dental structures are the hardest and well protected structures in the body. These structures resist decomposition and high temperatures and are among the last ones to disintegrate after death. The principal basis of the dental identification lies in the fact that no two oral cavities are alike and the teeth are unique to an individual. The dental evidence of the deceased recovered from the scene of crime/occurrence is compared with the ante-mortem records for identification. Dental features such as tooth morphology, variations in shape and size, restorations, pathologies,...
Assessment of pulp- tooth length ratio in forensic age estimation
International Journal of Dentistry Research, 2017
Background: Among various essential factors given for establishing the identity of the person, age is of utmost importance. Age estimation is a process of particular interest adopted by Anthropologist, Archaeologists & Forensic scientists in order to identify a person who is dead/missing/living. Various studies and techniques have been documented for age estimation, each one demonstrating various degrees of accuracy, reliability & precision. Among various methods of age estimation, teeth arefrequently used for the same as they may be preserved for a longertime evenafter all other tissues have disintegrated. Aim: This study aims to present a method for assessing the chronological age of an individual bycorrelating the relationship between age and pulp /tooth lengthRatio inmandibular canine. Materials and Methods: In the present study, 60 extracted permanent mandibular canines were included from individuals with known age (between the age group of 15-70 yrs) and sex. The sample were subdivided into 6 groups based on the age of the individual with 10 samples in each group. The measurement was done by unsectioned method to measure the pulp toothlength ratio, Maximum tooth length was measured with a pair of digital Vernier Caliper and Maximum pulp length by endodontic K-file. Data obtained was tabulated and statistically analyzed using One-way ANOVA test for continuous variables and unpaired t test for categorical variables. Results: There was significant difference for all the study variableslike (pulp: tooth length ratio) across different age groups. However, there was no significant difference in the study variables between the genders. A gradual reduction in pulp size was observed with respect to total pulp length and cervical pulp width with an increase in age and this showed a significant correlation with the chronological age. Conclusion: Dental age prediction is useful in routine and mass fatalities as teeth can be preserved for a long time. The results and observations obtained from the present study indicate that with advancing age, the length of the dental pulp chamber decreases vertically as well as horizontally as a result of secondary dentin deposition. However, these variables could not differentiate between the genders. Thus, assessment of pulp/tooth length ratio on mandibular canine using odontometric procedure manually without any sophisticated instruments canbe used as an alternative method to estimate the nearest chronological age with reasonable accuracy when radiographs are not available .
Oral Cavity: A Forensic Kaleidoscope
Journal of Health and Allied Sciences NU, 2021
Forensic odontology is an integral part of the multidisciplinary field of forensic sciences that requires specialized training and perceptive knowledge for its application in full potential. Forensic odontology deals with the evidence pertaining to the oral and paraoral structures. Dentists are equipped with knowledge of orofacial structures and their variations prevailing among different ancestry. By implicating the history of dental treatments to the identification process, dentists extract unique and accurate information that aids in forensic identification. Crimes such as child abuse and domestic violence are often identified by the dentists during routine dental examinations and this can be used as an evidence to discern malefactors in such cases. This article provides a collective review of applications and methods in forensic odontology that helps legal authorities in the identification of individuals.
Recent Trends in Dental Forensics
Indonesian Journal of Legal and Forensic Sciences, 2008
Teeth are the most robust tissues of the human body, and usually most resistant to post-mortem decay. The dental patterns tend to be highly individualized and are therefore very useful for identification if appropriate records are available for comparison. For these reasons, dental evidence remains important in forensic cases after accidents, crime or prolonged exposure to the environment. Routine antemortem dental records are applied for storage and retrieval of such information but unfortunately not always available. The same is true for DNA typing, which is an increasingly useful approach with decreasing cost of analysis. This paper aims to review some of the new developments, particularly in biochemical forensic tools and methods that can be applied also for dental samples. No new tool will solve all cases, and it remains necessary to apply an array of techniques for post-mortem identification. It is also very important to use established protocols for efficiency and quality assurance in forensic investigation. Some challenges are highlighted for forensic application in Indonesia.
Teeth as a Source of Dna for Forensic Investigation - a Review
International Journal of Medical Laboratory Research
Teeth are one of the most resilient structures in the human body, with respect to incineration, immersion, trauma, mutilation, and decomposition, and thus, are used in forensic investigations. Hard tissues like Teeth apart from bones are rich sources of DNA. The calcified nature of bones and teeth helps to keep them preserved when other parts of the body are destroyed or degraded in mass disasters. Teeth are frequently chosen sources of DNA because of their special makeup and location within the jawbone, which offers more protection to DNA than bones. Teeth with larger pulp and multi-root contain many pulp cells and have more tooth cementum, compared to single-root teeth. Regardless of the sort of laboratory process adopted or the time since death, studies have shown that molars and premolars are suitable candidates for obtaining DNA profiles. The aim of this article is to collate all information regarding tools and methodologies pertaining to isolating DNA from tooth samples and hi...
Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences
Background: The rate of decomposition of the organs of the body has been widely studied by forensic pathology experts for the determination of time elapsed after death. But researches pertaining to the dental pulp organ have been very sparse. This study attempts to identify the morphologic and microscopic characteristics of the tooth pulp for over a time period of 2 years with respect to time elapsed since its designated death. Materials and method: Eight experimental groups consisting of 5 extracted teeth in each group were constituted. The apical foramen was blocked with modeling wax. In groups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, dental pulp was extirpated after 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years of extraction, respectively. The pulp tissue underwent a standard histological processing and hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining. Slides were observed under a light microscope. Results and discussions: Morphologically, the color of the pulp changed from pink at 24 h to pale pink by 72 h. The consistency ranged from soft to firm to jelly by 72 h and later became desiccated and friable by 2 years. Microscopically, a rapid degeneration in the constituents of pulp was seen until 72 h followed by slowing down beyond 1 month with less histologic variations. Smaller vacuolations were observed in a 24-h PMI pulp which progressively increased filling up the entire stroma by 2 years. The nuclei underwent a series of autolytic changes with increasing time. The odontoblastic layer was seen in some areas for up to 6 months. Microbiological assessment showed Gram-positive staphylococci and streptococci up to 2 years Conclusion: Estimation of post-mortem interval (PMI) changes in pulp, which is enclosed in a hard structure, composed of enamel and dentin provides the advantage of being studied up to 2 years as compared to other organs. Progressive degradation of the matrix and cellular constituents of the pulp with increased vacuolations were noted in our study, and evaluation of these characteristics can be a cost-effective and simplified additional tool to estimate the PMI.