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Forens. Odontology
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Forensic Odontology | branch of forensic medicine which deals with the proper examination, handling and presentation of dental evidence in a court of law |
| What can an Odontologist discover? | ID of bite marks on a victim, ID of bite marks on other substances, ID of unknown bodies through dental work, age estimations of skeletal remains, and comparison of bite marks with the suspect |
| The physical characteristics of a bite mark wound and the suspects teeth: | the distance from cuspid to cuspid, the shape of the mouth arch, the evidence of a tooth out of alignment, teeth width and thickness, missing teeth, curves of biting edges, unique dentistry, wear patterns. |
| How reliable are bite marks in connecting a suspect with a crime? | Not reliable, because soft tissue will swell or distort and two people can have similar teeth construction |
| How helpful are teeth in identifying human remains? | Very helpful, because teeth remain very intact even through violent crimes. DNA is also preserved very well in the pulp of a tooth. |