Oral Pathology in Forensic Investigation

Area of Science:

• Forensic Odontology
• Oral Pathology
• Dental Forensics

Background:

• Forensic odontology analyzes dental evidence for legal purposes.
• Oral pathology focuses on diseases of the oral and maxillofacial regions.
• The expertise of oral pathologists is often underutilized in forensic investigations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the significant role of oral pathology in forensic investigations.
• To highlight how oral pathology contributes to identification and age estimation.
• To underscore the value of integrating oral pathology expertise into forensic odontology.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing oral and maxillofacial pathologies for identification.
• Employing enamel rod patterns and occlusal morphology for identification.
• Leveraging exfoliative cytology for sex determination and DNA profiling from teeth.
• Applying various age estimation techniques, including Gustafson's method and analysis of dental microstructures.

Main Results:

• Oral pathology provides critical data for individual identification through unique dental features and pathologies.
• Dental tissues offer reliable methods for age estimation using histological and biophysical properties.
• Deoxyribonucleic acid profiling from teeth is a key forensic application.

Conclusions:

• Oral pathology offers a wealth of information crucial for forensic odontology.
• Integrating oral pathology expertise can significantly enhance the accuracy and scope of forensic dental investigations.
• Further collaboration between oral pathologists and forensic odontologists is recommended.