MURDER MOST BRUTAL!!

QUESTION 1

We have all heard of how Forensic Dentistry has helped in the identification of burnt victims and also victims with bite marks. Explain more about these and describe how is Forensic Dentistry could be useful in the identification of murder victims?

 Forensic dentistry or forensic odontology is the area of dentistry that encompasses concepts and practices related to oral and maxillofacial structures in the context of the legal and judicial system .

First of all, teeth are the most durable parts of the body and dentitions are as individual as fingerprints. Therefore, individual tooth morphology as well as the restorations that exist in teeth are useful for human identification.

Postmortem teeth, jaws, fingerprint, and appliances can yield a positive identification given the existence and accuracy of ante mortem records. Therefore, accurate, comprehensive and current radiography and dental charting are critical to a successful confirmation or elimination of an individual as a victim. Since there is no database of teeth that corresponds with databases of fingerprints or DNA, so dental records are how forensic dentists identify the dead. Tooth enamel (the outer layer of teeth) is harder than any other substance in the human body, which is why teeth remain long after all other parts have decayed.

For example, in burnt victims, they  are often identified by their teeth, which can withstand temperatures of more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,093 degrees Celsius). Teeth that have been through especially intense heat are very fragile and may shrink, but they can be preserved with lacquer and used for identification as long as they are handled very carefully. Dental work, such as a partial or gold crown, will be distorted by fire but can still aid in identification.

To identify a person from his or her teeth, a forensic dentist must have a dental record or records from the deceased person's dentist. In the case of an incident involving multiple deaths, forensic dentists receive a list of possible individuals and compare available records with the teeth and find a match. Examining the teeth of an intact corpse often requires working in a morgue to expose the jaws surgically. Even if only a few teeth are available, a forensic dentist can still make a positive identification. The best comparisons come from X-rays, but even if those aren't available, notations on the tooth chart can tell the dentist if the teeth are the same.

Identifying an individual by his or her teeth without dental records is much more difficult. However, things like broken teeth, missing teeth and gold crowns might be recognized by the friends and family members of the deceased. Things about the biter's lifestyle can be determined by the teeth; a constant pipe smoker or a bagpipe player has a distinctive wear pattern. Dressmakers and tailors, who often put pins and needles in their mouths, may have chipped teeth.

In addition to the dental records, forensic investigators can retrieve DNA samples by extracting the pulp from the center of the tooth. Unlike the enamel, pulp can be damaged by fire and other conditions, but it can also last for hundreds of years. Dental identification is often the last resort, and it isn't always possible -- some people simply can't be identified.

X-rays are the best way to make a match as far as forensic dentistry is concerned.

Even without ante mortem records, forensic dentistry able to provide information regarding age, sex and estimated socioeconomic ( race and cultural heritage ). This information derived from tooth and dental arch morphology and anatomy, restorative materials ,eruption patterns, and skeletal features.

 QUESTION 2

Is a male human skull different from that of a female? If yes, how?

Difference between male and female human skull is very important 

in forensics in dentistry to determine the sex of the victim.

Research today shows that while in early life there is little 

difference between male and female skulls

As growth and development of skull progresses, the 

characteristics features of male and female skulls become more 

observable and can be distinguished by the naked eye.

DIFFERENCES

Male	Aspect	Female
Heavier and larger	Weight, Size	Smaller and lighter
Slightly sloping/receeding	Forehead	Vertical
More prominent	Temporal line	Less prominent
Thicker and more prominent	Supraorbital ridge	Less prominent
More squarish,angular,prominent and has thick bone for attachment of masseter m. angle of jaw is acute	Angle of mandible	Rounder and curved, less prominent , wider angle of jaw
Squarish chin, less prominent mental protuberance	Chin(mental protuberance)	Pointed chin, more prominent and sharper mental protuberance
More prominent	Mastoid Process	Less prominent

(typical male skull/characteristics)








(typical female skull)

A word of warning, if you please.
You shouldn’t rely on one of these features in isolation to determine gender, but should look to a combination of the factors to give you a reliable indicator.

Sure enough, the differences between male and female skulls may be subtle and require a period of “calibration” in order to become proficient in seeing the differences. Once this is done, you should have a fairly well-honed ability to determine the sex of an individual from their skull.

(general differences between male and female skull)

QUESTION 3

From the story above so far, how many victims are there? Explain. 

Possibility 1
There might be only 1 young male victim involved in this murdering case as for now. As we can see from the article, the forensic team could only locate a skull, and a jaw like structure as well, which have a likelihood of only a person being murdered in here, whilst the finding of other human remains still going on. So, it’s still remains as mystery. No one knows...

Possibility  2
In here, there will be 2 possible victims involved, as the Dr Rudi have mentioned that result of the current finding included a skull and also a jaw like structure bearing some teeth as well. We couldn't exactly tell that particular jaw like structure belongs or fits into skull of the remains. So, we might conclude that both skull and jaw could be from two different persons. As for the other human remains, might as well disperse around the area, waiting the forensic team to dig out. 

In a nutshell, we cannot fully conclude if the jaw-like structures bearing some teeth belong to one victim or more. The parts of the skull found at the scene of the crime could be from several victims as well. Therefore, it is difficult to deduce how many victims are there. However, we do know that there is at least one male skeleton,and perhaps a young child. The parameter is still being searched for body parts or of any human remains which could provide more evidence helping to calculate the number of victims. Further examination of the jaw like structures and the parts of the skull is required to conclude anything.