Forensic dentistry: Adding a perio 'scope' to it!

Abstract

Human identification during mass disasters using the stereotyped techniques such as fingerprint analysis is a cumbersome task. With a view to overcome this predicament, dental evidence of the deceased has gained importance in the recent years. Various branches of dentistry have augmented forensic research through innumerable scientific contributions. The following narrative review of literature aims to summarize the findings of studies that reported periodontal associations or potential associations that could play a role in forensic research. It is designed to inspire the “perio-society” to lend a helping hand to forensic odontology.

Implication of Perio in Forensic Odontology

“…While titanium may not melt at high temperature, they may 'sag'; a slight warping of the object's shape. These properties of implants have shown to give them added importance for [2] playing evidence in victim identication.…”

“…[1] Forensic research pertaining to dentistry has taken several turns and reached a crossroad where every separate branch has an entity to contribute to support identication of the deceased. [2] Periodontics is clinical dental speciality dealing with diseases of periodontium. [3] This speciality is utilized for identication of individuals through morphology and pathology of periodontium and is also utilized for age estimation studies which include periodontal ligament [4,5] attachment level, root transparency and root length .…”

Scope of Periodontium in Forensic Science

“…Histological examination of gingival tissue when observed at different time intervals within 10 hours after death cellular changes occurs, in both postmortem and ante-mortem reports. 2 Gingival cells analysis by quantitative cytomorphometric method, involves scraping of attached gingiva to assess age and gender related alterations in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Chromatin clumping, nuclear karyopyknosis, widened intercellular junction and loss of epithelium are some of the changes at microscopic level seen at different intervals of time after death.…”

The Expanding Scope of Periodontics – A Review Article

“…The interplay in these departments is appreciated during age estimation using tooth cementum annulations (TCAs) and amino acid racemization (sample taken from gingiva, as it is the most accessible), Gingival epithelium assessment, and using implants (that endure the thermal insults due to the high melting point of titanium) and implant recognition software for identification (16) .…”