Journal of Forensic Odonto-Stomatology最新文献

Objective: To analyze the perspective of using an adapted algorithm for digital images comparison while providing forensic dental identification in complicated fractured skull conditions by ante-mortem and post-mortem radiographical data sets.

Materials and methods: Ante-mortem orthopantomogram and post-mortem peri-apical X-ray images were converted in *.jpeg format with their further import into GIMP 2.10 software (The GIMP Development Team). Segmentation of OPG-image was provided in topographical projections of jaw segments obtained directly from the victim. Comparison of analyzed image segments was provided manually within GIMP 2.10 software using functions of "Layers" and "Opacity" through the proposed algorithm.

Results: Considering the fact that 20 positive concordant dental identifiers overall were verified during comparison of AM and PM X-ray datasets, we can conclude that odontological identity was established. All above-mentioned discrepancies could be classified as explainable. Inter-agreement rate between two investigators considering correspondence between AM and PM datasets reached Cohen's kappa level which is equal to 0,97, while positive 100% agreement was reached considering 21 out of 24 analyzed characteristics.

Conclusion: Available AM and PM radiographical datasets represent a sufficient information for effective forensic dental identification, even if such were obtained by different roentgenological techniques (orthopantomography and periapical radiography). Using of an adapted algorithm for digital images comparison with forensic dental purposes could potentially overcome cognitive bias and observer's effect, speed up the process of analysis and increase the accuracy and inter-agreement rate while referencing AM and PM datasets.

Objectives: To propose a formula for determining reduced mouth opening due to oral and maxillofacial trauma, based on the normal standard of the Brazilian population.

Materials and methods: First, the maximum mouth opening was established, in millimeters, using a digital pachymeter, in patients between 22 and 60 years of age. The opening was measured from the upper to the lower incisor, at maximum amplitude, without pain and overbite. Second, the facial profile type and height were determined. A formula was developed to calculate the percentage of reduced mouth opening based on the normal average.

Results: The average mouth opening was found to be 51.71 mm in men and 47.94 mm in women, thus establishing a statistically significant difference in mouth opening between sexes. However, there was no statistically significant difference between age and profile type with mouth opening. The following formulas were developed to calculate the reduced mouth opening, based on the averages found, by using RA= [100-(A.1.93)].0.3 for males and RA= [100-(A.2,08)] .0.3 for female patients.

Conclusion: Considering that mouth opening tends to be larger in men than in women, valid formulas can be used to determine the correct percentage of reduced mouth opening.

Objectives: The metric and non-metric features of the fragmented, badly damaged and commingled human remains play a significant role in their identity establishment in forensic anthropology. The main objective of the present study was to assess the population specific attributes of the unknown human dental remains excavated from an abandoned well, found underneath a religious structure at Ajnala (Punjab, India). Written accounts mentioned that Ajnala skeletal remains belonged to 282 Indian origin soldiers of the British army who had revolted against the colonial rulers in 1857, who were killed after capture, and their bodies dumped in an abandoned well.

Materials and methods: Eleven non-metric dental traits were investigated in a sample of 1527 teeth (1200 dislodged teeth comprising of 300 canines, 300 premolars and 600 molars along with 93 jaw fragments having 327 teeth of different types) collected from this non-scientifically exhumed skeletal assemblage. These selected traits were examined with adequate magnification and lighting, using a flexible arm illuminated magnifier (Lensel Optics Pvt. Ltd., Pune, India), identified and scored in accordance with the descriptions provided in the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System (ASUDAS).

Results: Eight of the eleven features examined (Carabelli trait, Hypocone absence, Cusp 5, Cusp 6, Tomes root, mesial canine ridge, Y-groove pattern, and four-cusp mandibular second molar) exhibited frequencies that were distinctly higher or lower than the three major continental ancestries.

Discussion: Some amateur historians doubted the authenticity of the written versions and argued that these remains might belong to the non-Indians. Present study results revealed that the studied dental trait frequencies were not similar to any major continental ancestry and were relatively unique in Ajnala teeth like previous Indian studies. While this in itself does not guarantee that these teeth belong to individuals of the Indian subcontinent, it endorses previous scientific analyses and supports the written accounts that the majority of Ajnala teeth were probably Indian in origin. However, the determination of ethnicity from dental morphological features remains debatable and can be used only as suggestive than diagnostic tool owing to possible bias in recording morphological features of teeth. Although determining the racial affinity from teeth is very difficult, caution must be exercised in concluding the racial identity of an individual from the teeth.

Juvenile crime or delinquency has been increasing at an alarming rate in recent times. In many countries, including India, the minimum age for criminal responsibility is 16 years. The present study aimed to estimate the probability of a south Indian adolescent either being or being older than the legally relevant age of 16 years using Demirjian's tooth formation stages. Orthopantomograms (OPG) of 640 south Indian adolescents (320 boys and 320 girls) aged between 12 and 20 years were retrospectively analyzed. In each OPG, Demirjian's formation stage of the mandibular left third molar was recorded and the data was subjected to statistical analysis. Descriptive and Pearsons correlation statistics were performed. The empirical probabilities were provided relative to the medico-legal question of predicting 16 years of age. The distribution of age throughout the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentile follows a logical distribution pattern horizontally and vertically. Pearson's correlation statistics showed a strong positive correlation between the Demirjian's stages and age for both sexes. Therefore, it can be concluded that stage "F" can be used to predict the attainment of age equal to or older than 16 years with a probability of 93.9% for boys and 96.6% for girls.

Sex estimation is an important part of forensic human identification, and when primary methods cannot be applied, forensic anthropology becomes an important auxiliary method of identification. The maxillary sinus may remain intact even if the skull is severely damaged and could thus be used in forensic investigations. The objective of this study was to verify the effectiveness of the evaluation of the maxillary sinus as a technique for sex estimation. Articles published in the past 10 years were searched using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane databases, including those that used computed tomography to perform maxillary sinus measurements with the purpose of sex estimation. Studies that used radiographs to perform the measurements were excluded because they do not allow for a three-dimensional analysis. Studies that did not provide information regarding the origin of the analyzed population were also excluded. The selected articles were evaluated for methodological quality according to the indication of the objective, studied population, inclusion and exclusion criteria, parameters for obtaining the computed tomography image, measurements evaluated, bias discussion, and ethical authorization. From the 52 articles found, 18 were included. The populations studied included Indians, Iraqis, Iranians, Egyptians, Brazilians, French, Dutch, and Turkish. Height, width, length, and volume of the maxillary sinus were measured. The maxillary sinus can act as an auxiliary tool for sex estimation in forensic investigations.

Change is the universal law of nature, and human bodies after death cannot be an exception for a long time. In forensic science, the tissue from the hardest part of the human body is the only hope to establish the identity, and maternity/paternity of unidentified dead bodies. In this case, a foreign national on a tourist visa to one of the Himalayan states went missing when passing through a dense forest. His relatives could not trace him despite the best efforts of the search team, because of inaccessible hilly terrain. Later on, shepherds while grazing their livestock in the forest area accidentally came across the fragmented remains of a human skeleton. They informed the villagers, and then the police. Teeth collected during the autopsy and blood samples of the putative son, and wife of the missing foreign national on FTA (Flinders Technology Associates) cards were sent to DNA Division, State Forensic Science Laboratory, Junga, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh to establish the identity. DNA profiles obtained from the blood samples of the putative son, wife of missing foreign national, and teeth showed a complete, and concordant match, which established the identity of the skeleton. Moreover, the probability of paternity (>99.99%) between unidentified deceased person and the putative son also assessed the identity of the deceased. Hence, human teeth from unidentified dead bodies can establish the identity of unidentified deceased persons.

Dental radiographs, endodontic treatment and materials are a source of useful forensic data. The response of dental materials to death-related events are widely studied and provide forensic evidence for experts. This study aimed to analyze the radiographic images of endodontically treated teeth submitted to burial and drowning simulation, verifying its forensic feasibility, applicability and usefulness.

Material and method: n=20 bovine incisor teeth were endodontically treated then divided into two groups: burial and drowning scenarios. Teeth were radiographed two times (before and after scenario) with an aluminium stepwedge, and optical density (OD) was assessed in each root third, in both radiographs, and then compared (ANOVA and Tukey test) for each scenario.

Results: Burial scenario did not significantly alter radiopacity. As for the drowning scenario, there was no difference in radiopacity between the root thirds before the test. After drowning, the apical third demonstrated lower OD (p<.05) than the other two thirds. Comparing the OD before and after drowning, medium third presented lower and cervical third demonstrated higher means (p<.05) after drowning.

Conclusion: We concluded that drowning conditions could alter the radiopacity of endodontically treated teeth, more specifically in the medium and cervical thirds. There is no evidence that this also occurs in burial situations. This has the potential to be useful in forensic casework as an initial sign of the type of ambient in which the body was supposedly exposed or set.

Age estimation significantly contributes to forensic medicine and law enforcement in Indonesia. However, lateral cephalometric radiographs of cervical vertebrae have not been used to estimate age in the Indonesian population. This study developed a formula to estimate the skeletal age of cervical vertebrae using multiple linear regression analyses, estimating the dental age and evaluating the agreement between cervical vertebrae skeletal-chronological, dental-chronological, and cervical vertebrae skeletal-dental ages. Several anatomical parameters were measured to obtain cervical vertebrae ratios from 100 lateral cephalometric radiographs, and followed by the calculation of  dental tooth crown index data from 100 panoramic radiographs of subjects 9-18 years old. The Bland-Altman plot of cervical vertebrae skeletal and dental ages showed a mean difference of -0.094 ± 1.52 years, with upper and lower limits of 2.882 and -3.070 years, respectively. The means of the cervical vertebrae skeletal, dental, and chronological ages were 13.97 (2.67), 14.06 (2.45), and 13.97 (2.97), respectively. The mean differences between cervical vertebrae skeletal-chronological and dental-chronological ages were 0.566 (2.26) and 4.005 (2.07), respectively. Furthermore, a validation trial (group 2, n = 10, three males and seven females) was conducted to test the accuracy of the cervical vertebrae skeletal age estimation formula using consecutive sampling. The age range was 9-11 years. Cervical vertebrae skeletal age showed a better agreement with chronological age than did dental age.

The importance of age estimation in the forensic field is inherent to the process of establishing the biological profile of children, sub-adults and adults. The established profile might be useful for the identification of deceased victims or living individuals when it comes to age of legal interest. In parallel, age estimation is also investigated for clinical purposes, especially for the diagnosis of dental and bone maturation. Several studies were developed to provide accurate age estimation methods based on skeletal and dental development. This study aimed to apply and compare Cameriere's and Willems' methods for dental age estimation in a Brazilian sample. Two examiners performed image analysis and method application in 180 panoramic radiographs of Brazilian children aged 6-14 years old. The ages estimated with both methods revealed a good correlation with the chronological ages of Brazilian boys and girls. Cameriere's method showed a slight underestimation of 0.05 years for girls and 0.03 for boys. Willems' method, on the other hand, showed an overestimation of -0.47 years for girls and -0.39 for boys. Better age estimates were obtained combining the outcomes of both methods. In practice, Cameriere's and Willems' methods reached reliable outcomes and could be applied for dental age estimation purposes.

The grinding of a whole tooth specimen has been considered the conventional method to extract genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in forensic science. However, we have tried the less destructive reverse root canal filing (RRCF) method without disturbing the morphology of the tooth to achieve competent amplifiable DNA. A total of 27 pairs of bilateral intact extracted teeth from the same subject were used in three different simulated environmental conditions for the respective RRCF and conventional methods: (a) soil burial for six months, (b) incineration at 200º C for four minutes, and (c) immersion in water for two months. Qualitative agarose gel electrophoresis assessment and downstream amplification were performed. The results showed significantly higher mean DNA concentration for the RRCF method in all three environmental conditions (p value = 0.008) in comparison to the conventional method. However, comparable qualitative results were found in both methods for the mean DNA concentration for incinerated (159.49 ng/ml), soil (119.52 ng/ml), and water (108.60 ng/ml) samples. It was concluded that the RRCF method is better quantitively (ng/ml) and comparable in terms of quality with respect to the conventional method, with the added advantage of preservation of the tooth morphology.