Forensic Dentistry

Forensic Dentistry
            To further my studies in body examination, not can we use insects to identify a body, we can also use teeth from corpses or human remains. This reliable source of forensics is used during a mass tragedy such as burned bodies or just plain destroyed. According to Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner, "teeth are the most enduring part of the human body, apart from bone" (1). In fact, teeth last longer than anything else in our body after death, even after embalming the body. Everyone is born with the same number and type of teeth, but each tooth has its individual unique trace. If a victim or suspect is taken into custody; while teeth and or bite marks are involved in the crime scene, dental records may be called upon or then created. Forensic dentistry has been used in many historical cases to identify criminals.

Back in The Day

            Forensic dentistry; or the use of teeth for identification, was used in the first century A.D..  It was then again used in England and even in Paul Revere's life. According to the research of the Lerners:

The Roman Emperor Claudius had his mistress, Lollia Paulina, beheaded and then demanded to examine the teeth on the body to ensure the right woman had been put to death. He knew she had a discolored front tooth. In another early example of dental identification, William the Conqueror, King of England in the eleventh century, would bite into wax used to seal official documents. His teeth were misaligned, so his bite mark guaranteed the documents' authenticity. In 1775, Paul Revere, famous for alerting American colonists to the approach of British forces, made a set of dentures for a friend, Dr. Joseph Warren, who was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill that year. Warren was buried in a mass grave, but his family wanted the body for a private burial. Revere was able to identify Warren's body through the dentures he had made (1).

It actually works, forensic dentistry is a reliable source of identification and has been used for centuries. Dental records can show the unique trace of one's teeth and any operations that has been performed, for example, if one were to have dentures inserted, that would be displayed and easily used in court to identify a person. Now for the United States and recent uses.

United States and Early Forensic Dentistry

            In the 1800's, there were two major dates for forensic dentistry and they were 1849 and 1878, for the first dental presentation in court and use of dental records, respectively. According to the Lerner's:

In United States courts, dental evidence was first presented in court in 1849 when the incinerated remains of a George Parkman were identified by Nathan Cooley Keep through a partial denture he had made for this patient. He proved identity by fitting the prosthesis onto the cast that had been used in its manufacture. The evidence led to the conviction and execution of a J.W. Webster for the murder (1).

Then in 1878, a fire occurred at the Vienna Opera House where over a hundred people burned and died. Dental remains were used to identify some of the 126 dead people (Brenda Lerner and Lee Lerner 1). This prompted for the writing of the first textbook on forensic dentistry since how influential it was on solving the identities of many.

Conclusion

            Forensic dentistry may not seem like a huge part of forensic science, but knowing who dealt the crime and to incarcerate the criminal is essential by any legal means necessary. For example, many notorious figures of our world have been identified by dental records. Adolf Hitler, John F. Kennedy's assassin, and the remains of Czar Nicholas the second have been identified by means of forensic dentistry (Brenda Lerner and Lee Lerner 1). Forensic dentistry is a wonderful addition to the arsenal of crime fighting.

Works Cited

"Odontology, historical cases." World of Forensic Science. Ed. K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: Gale, 2006. Science In Context. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.