Identifying murder victims with endodontic radiographs

Abstract

Endodontics is a special branch of dentistry constantly guided by imaging examinations. From a forensic scope, endodontics plays a valuable role providing solid antemortem (AM) radiographic evidence for comparison with postmortem findings in human identifications. This study illustrates the interface between endodontics and forensic odontology describing three cases of human identification based on radiographic endodontic records. From 2009 to 2012, three unknown male victims of murder were examined in a local Brazilian medico-legal institute to retrieve identity and potential cause of death. Specifically, when asked for AM data, a relative of the three victims provided periapical radiographs of endodontic treatments. Based on that, forensic dentists reproduced the same imaging acquisition techniques obtaining similar periapical radiographs, enabling a comparative dental identification. All the victims were positively identified based on patterns of dental morphology and treatment intervention. This study draws the attention of general and forensic dentists highlight the importance of properly recording dental treatments and searching for evidence in AM endodontic data, respectively.

Dental Cingulum and Position of Fixed Orthodontic Appliance as Source of Morphological and Therapeutic Identifiers: An Unusual Case Report

“…Several case reports using therapeutic identifiers[61416] are found in the literature and corroborate the value of these identifiers in forensic dentistry. Regarding the morphology, case reports focus more often in the distinctive traits detected in the frontal sinuses and incisal edges of the anterior teeth in smile photographs,[31718] although there is some of them that emphasizes the role of some dental anomalies in order to make the human identification process easier.…”

Endodontic images as a forensic identification: A literature review

“…The first clinical case report of victim identification using dental data was made by Weisman in 1996, whose radiographs of the remains found were compared to those obtained during endodontic treatment of the victim performed four years before the fire (Weisman, 1996). Other clinical cases of identification of cadavers through comparisons of antemortem and post-mortem endodontic radiographs were reported (Forrest & Wu, 2010;Silva et al, 2014;Silva et al, 2016). In vitro studies have evaluated the resistance of root canal filling materials after high-temperature incineration, to assess their use in forensic identification (Savio et al, 2006;Bonavilla et al, 2008).…”

“…Endodontics emerges as a potential source of antemortem data as radiology is widely used to record, evaluate and plan endodontic treatment, (Forrest & Wu, 2010;Silva et al, 2016). Endodontic radiographs can be accurately duplicated by any operator at different locations and times in the same patient (Khalid et al, 2016).…”

Assessment of Dental Diversities on Panoramic Radiographs for Human Identification: A Retrospective Study

“…In 2016, Silva et al 2 investigated the contribution of endodontic dental radiographic evidence to forensic dentistry in real criminal cases. In the first examined case, root canal treatment in mandibular left first premolar detected with AM periapical radiographs of the victim.…”

“…Forensic odontology is an important discipline of dentistry, which works in parallel with the legal departments, providing evidence to explain civil and criminal cases. 1,2 This branch deals with the proper obtaining and examination of dental evidence and then the proper evaluation of dental findings in the interest of justice. 3 The main object of forensic odontologist is to identify victims, slain or culprit both in human or cadaver over their oral tissues, jaws, teeth and dental restorations.…”