Linda Peacock’s body was found lifeless on August 7, 1967, due to being beaten and strangled. For years, the bite mark on her breast went unnoticed, but would from then, soon undeniably identify the unsub in which performed the fatal act on Linda (Forensic Dentistry Online). In the field of Forensics, it is in many cases that Odontology, also known as Forensic Dentistry comes into play, and helps solve investigations with the identification of bite marks and and unknown remains of humans.
History and Evolution of Forensic Dentistry
Forensic Dentistry and its practice dates back as far to the times of Nero, in 66 AD, when the first evidence of well-documented teeth began (Balachander, Babu, Priyadharsini, and Masthan). The story of Nero remains to be known as the first use of Forensic Dentistry; Nero, last emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynastys’ mother, ordered her soldiers to kill a woman named Paulina, and bring back her head as proof. When the time came, they were unable to identify the head, but examined the front teeth and found that the discoloration of them, defined it was her. From then on other events came into play; The first formal treatise on Forensic Dentistry was developed by a man named Dr. Oscar Amoedo, also known as the “Father of Forensic Odontology”, in 1898, and was titled “L’Art Dentaire en Medecine Legale” (Biology Online). Along with Amoedo and many other men of history, there were new ways of filing data that were created to keep records, which would help in cases that were being investigated. From there, the interest only grew; more and more interest in Forensic Dentistry was compiled and it soon began to make its way into the legal world in which various cases would flourish, and word would be spread about the new phenomenon (Biology Online).
The field of Forensic Dentistry
Forensic Dentistry, also known as “Odontology”, is a field of interest that pertains to the oral cavity, and how the teeth and oral structures can be used in the court of law. The two bases as to why Forensic Dentistry is a good strategy in identifying remains of those passed or alive, is that no two oral cavities are alike, and tooth structures can resist conditions such as extreme temperatures, such like bone marrow, and hair can as well (Krishan, Kanchan, and Garg, 2015). Factors in the dental field such as tooth morphology, restorations, pathologies, missing teeth, and rotations, can help determine key evidence like the determination of someone’s age, sex, race, and ethnicity. All of which can help find the identity of victims, unsubs, and others of interest within a specific case (Krishan, Kanchan, and Garg, 2015).
Limitations to Forensic Dentistry
There are various implications that state how Forensic Dentistry can be proven not useful in practice. The first one of those generally being that there is no requirement for practicing Forensic Dentistry. In addition to that, there does not need to be a practicing Dentist. There is also the fact that people’s dental records change over time. When going off of the base that pinpointing people of interest in cases is possible due to no oral cavity being the same, this can cause issues. For example, in a case of murder, the unsub may have two cavities in need of root canal treatment, however, in the time of investigation, may have had those teeth removed. There are many factors that can limit finding the correct suspect, and being sure of it (McShane). Lastly, there is no universal strategy or procedure in the analysis of finding Forensic Odontology evidence, such as there is for identifying someone’s fingerprints, or blood.
Conclusion
Forensic Dentistry is a practice used to identify various factors in which can be used to investigate and discover criminal suspects. The history is one that is simple, yet short and developed. Although there are few unpopular opinions and claims that Forensic Dentistry and sciences are not plausible, the field has grown and become very useful in cases where the oral cavity is of involvance, and when a case has lack of evidence.
References
- O. (n.d.). The Biggar Murder & Warren Harvey. Retrieved August 17, 2017, from http://www.forensicdentistryonline.org/the-biggar-murder-warren-harvey/
- Krishan, K., Kanchan, T., & Garg, A. K. (2015). Dental Evidence in Forensic Identification – An Overview, Methodology and Present Status. Retrieved August 17, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4541412/
- McShane, J. J. (n.d.). Limitations of Forensic Odontology. Retrieved August 18, 2017, from http://www.thetruthaboutforensicscience.com/forensic-odontology/
- Balachander, N., Babu, N. A., Jimson, S., Priyadharsini, C., & Masthan, K. M. (2015, April).
- Evolution of forensic odontology: An overview. Retrieved August 18, 2017, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4439663/
- History behind Forensic Odontology – Forensic Odontology. (n.d.). Retrieved August 18, 2017, from:http://www.biology-online.org/articles/forensic-odontology/history-behind-forensic-odontology.html