We’ve heard the phrase too many times on the news — a body is found, and police are awaiting confirmation from authorities before confirming the identity. The easiest scenario (if “easy” can be used in such a case) is when the identity of the deceased is already suspected. If someone has been reported missing, and a body matching that person’s description is found, that person’s dentist is contacted and the records are checked. Bite patterns, fillings and tooth arrangement are unique to each individual, and since teeth usually survive most postmortem events that destroy other tissue, they are an excellent method of identification.
More difficult are the John Does — anonymous victims of crime or disaster, often decomposed beyond recognition. There is no central registration for dental records, so instead, a forensic dentist is summoned. He or she carefully examines the skull and the teeth and carefully prepares a dental profile. Did the victim have expensive dental work done; caps, crowns, fillings? Were the teeth stained yellow (probable smoker), have an unusual wear pattern (pipe smoker, perhaps) or enamel erosion (possible substance abuse or bulimia)? Root length, molar development, receding gums, and even the shape of the incisors all help to determine the age, ancestry, health and lifestyle of the John Doe, which is then released to various law enforcement agencies. Records are searched for possible missing persons matches, and then family members are contacted to obtain dental records.
by Sandy Wood & Kara Kovalchik
originally posted @ mentalfloss.com on Wednesday, August 31, 2005