Forensic dentistry or forensic odontology, the proper handling, examination and evaluation of dental evidence, which will be then presented in the interest of justice. To examine somebody or something is to inspect it closely, hence an examination is a detailed inspection or analysis of an object or person. ... Evaluation is the systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or someone. ... Two dentists perform surgery on a patient. ... Evidence has several meanings as indicated below. ... J.L. Urban, statue of Lady Justice at court building in Olomouc, Czech Republic (1896-1901) Justice is the ideal, morally correct state of things and persons. ...

The evidence that may be derived from teeth, is the age (in children) and identification of the person to whom the teeth belong. This is done using dental records or ante-mortem (prior to death) photographs. Types of teeth Molars are used for grinding up foods Carnassials are used for slicing food. ... A photograph (often shortened to photo) is an image created by focusing light onto material having a light-sensitive coating. ...

The other type of evidence is that of bite marks, left on either the victim (by the attacker), the perpetrator (from the victim of an attack), or on an object found at the crime scene. Bite marks are often found on children who are abused. A crime scene is a location where an illegal act took place, and comprises the area from which most of the physical evidence is retrieved by forensic scientists. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Forensic dentists are responsible for six main areas of practice:

• Identification of found human remains
• Identification in mass fatalities
• Assessment of bite mark injuries
• Assessment of cases of abuse (child, spousal, elder)
• Civil cases involving malpractice
• Age estimation

High-profile criminal cases

Forensic odontology has played a key role in famous criminal cases:

• State of Florida v. Ted Bundy
• State of New Jersey v. Jesse Timmendequas (Megan's Law case)
• People of California v. Marx, the 1975 case which established evidentiary standards for forensic odontology
• People of Arizona v. Ray Krone, bite mark evidence led to wrongful conviction.

State nickname: Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush (R) Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ... Theodore Robert Ted Bundy (November 24, 1946 – January 24, 1989) was an American serial killer and rapist who murdered numerous young women across the United States between 1974 and 1978. ... State nickname: The Garden State Other U.S. States Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Governor Richard Codey Official languages None defined Area 22,608 km² (47th)  - Land 19,231 km²  - Water 3,378 km² (14. ... Jesse Timmendequas (born April 15, 1961) was, on May 30, 1997, convicted of murdering his neighbor, seven-year-old Megan Kanka, in 1994. ... Megans Law is the colloquial term used to denote a number of state laws in the United States that require law enforcement authorities to identify what are generally called sex offenders to the public at large through various media, including in some cases the Internet. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... The law of evidence governs the use of testimony (e. ... Official language(s) English Capital Phoenix Largest city Phoenix Area  Ranked 6th  - Total 113,998 sq mi (295,254 km²)  - Width 310 miles (500 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 0. ...

Criticism

Recently, the scientific foundation of forensic odontology, and especially bite mark comparison, has been called into question. An investigative series by the Chicago Tribune entitled "Forensics under the Microscope" examined many forensic science disciplines to see if they truly deserve the air of infallibility that has come to surround them. The investigators concluded that bite mark comparison is always subjective and no standards for comparison have been accepted across the field. The journalists discovered that no rigorous experimentation has been conducted to determine error rates for bite mark comparison, a key part of the scientific method. Critics of bite mark comparison cite the case of Ray Krone, an Arizona man convicted of murder on bite mark evidence left on a woman's breast. DNA evidence later implicated another man and Krone was released from prison.[1] The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois. ... Scientific method is a body of techniques for investigating phenomena and acquiring new knowledge, as well as for correcting and integrating previous knowledge. ...

See also

• The American Society of Forensic Odontology — the certifying body for US odontologists
• Forensic dentistry online
• C. Michael Bowers DDS JD — explains actual forensic dentistry cases and forensic science issues