Technological improvements have introduced significant innovations in dentistry and broadened the array of tools and techniques in dental care. One technological development that has been widely researched over the past 20 years is the use of Near-Infrared Transillumination (NIRT) imaging for the diagnosis of dental caries. This paper aims to introduce a comprehensive collection of NIRT images, intended as a reference tool for routine dental examinations, dental research, pedagogical activities, and forensic odontology. The collection presents pairwise clinical and NIRT images categorized as follows: (a) healthy teeth, (b) carious teeth, (c) restored teeth, (d) enamel defects, and (e) diverse findings. This atlas could be a valuable tool for the dental community as it is designed as an identification guide of NIRT illustrated dental features.

Background Dental enamel, the outermost layer of the tooth, stands as a unique and remarkable tissue that plays a crucial role in safeguarding teeth against various external factors. The examination and analysis of enamel rod end patterns on tooth surfaces, referred to as ameloglyphics, offer a promising avenue for dental identification and forensic investigations in forensic medicine, thereby enhancing the precision and reliability of forensic analyses. This paper aims to evaluate and compare the ameloglyphics of different species under a stereomicroscope. The species examined in this study include the beaver (genus Castor), fox (genus Vulpes), and human (Homo sapiens). Methods Teeth samples from each species (n = 3) were gathered from the tooth repository and examined under a stereomicroscope at various magnifications, both with and without graphite staining. Photographs were captured, and the enamel patterns were meticulously evaluated. Through the utilization of plot profiles, the enamel patterns of the different species were compared, and any discernible differences between them were carefully noted. Results The plot profiles of the three species were analyzed, revealing distinct characteristics. Specifically, it was observed that the plots of the genus Castor teeth and Homo sapiens teeth exhibited dispersed arrangements, whereas the plot profile of the genus Vulpes displayed a closely arranged pattern. Conclusions Within the confines of the current investigation, it can be inferred that every mammal exhibits a distinct and exclusive arrangement of enamel rods. Hence, the task of identifying a deceased individual through dental imprints may pose difficulties if the structural characteristics are not thoroughly comprehended.

The potential of intraoral 3D photo scans in forensic odontology identification remains largely unexplored, even though the high degree of detail could allow automated comparison of ante mortem and post mortem dentitions. Differences in soft tissue conditions between ante- and post mortem intraoral 3D photo scans may cause ambiguous variation, burdening the potential automation of the matching process and underlining the need for limiting inclusion of soft tissue in dental comparison. The soft tissue removal must be able to handle dental arches with missing teeth, and intraoral 3D photo scans not originating from plaster models. To address these challenges, we have developed the grid-cutting method. The method is customisable, allowing fine-grained analysis using a small grid size and adaptation of how much of the soft tissues are excluded from the cropped dental scan. When tested on 66 dental scans, the grid-cutting method was able to limit the amount of soft tissue without removing any teeth in 63/66 dental scans. The remaining 3 dental scans had partly erupted third molars (wisdom teeth) which were removed by the grid-cutting method. Overall, the grid-cutting method represents an important step towards automating the matching process in forensic odontology identification using intraoral 3D photo scans.

In the past few years, there has been an enormous increase in the application of artificial intelligence and its adoption in multiple fields, including healthcare. Forensic medicine and forensic odontology have tremendous scope for development using AI. In cases of severe burns, complete loss of tissue, complete or partial loss of bony structure, decayed bodies, mass disaster victim identification, etc., there is a need for prompt identification of the bony remains. The mandible, is the strongest bone of the facial region, is highly resistant to undue mechanical, chemical or physical impacts and has been widely used in many studies to determine age and sexual dimorphism. Radiographic estimation of the jaw bone for age and sex is more workable since it is simple and can be applied equally to both dead and living cases to aid in the identification process. Hence, this systematic review is focused on various AI tools for age and sex determination in maxillofacial radiographs. The data was obtained through searching for the articles across various search engines, published from January 2013 to March 2023. QUADAS 2 was used for qualitative synthesis, followed by a Cochrane diagnostic test accuracy review for the risk of bias analysis of the included studies. The results of the studies are highly optimistic. The accuracy and precision obtained are comparable to those of a human examiner. These models, when designed with the right kind of data, can be of tremendous use in medico legal scenarios and disaster victim identification.

Short tandem repeat (STR) typing is widely used not only for blood relationship identification but also for the personal identification of unidentified bodies. However, DNA is susceptible to the effects of environmental factors, consequently leading to reduced DNA yields. Therefore, to maximize the DNA yield required for identification, teeth are generally completely pulverized during DNA extraction. However, this renders subsequent testing after DNA profiling impossible. In this study, we investigated the utility of DNA profiling using only the cementum from teeth that had been left outdoors for long postmortem intervals. We analyzed 90 molars (fresh teeth) that were extracted within six months at a dental clinic and 90 molars (stale teeth) exposed outdoors for over 70 years, and following cementum extraction, the accuracy of STR profiling, optimal site for cementum collection, and minimum amount of cementum required for STR profiling were determined. The results demonstrated that the profiling accuracy of DNA extracted from cementum was comparable to that of DNA from dental pulp and dentin. Furthermore, the collection of cementum from either near the cervical line or from the root apex areas did not show significant differences in DNA profiling accuracy, indicating that securing at least 5 mg of cementum was sufficient to ensure precise DNA profiling. These findings suggest that DNA profiling using only cementum is viable even in teeth that have been subjected to a long postmortem interval.

Introduction Fingerprints found at the crime scene are important and valuable evidence, as they are unique to every individual. Determining the blood group from the blood samples obtained at the site of the crime helps in identifying a person. However, where blood stains are not available, saliva obtained at the crime site can be used to identify the victim. Since fingerprint patterns and blood groups are unique to every individual and remain unchanged throughout life, the correlation between dermatoglyphics and blood groups can be of use in victim identification. Objectives The present study is conducted with the objective of finding out if there is any association between the distribution of fingerprint patterns and blood groups and if this association is of use in gender identification. Materials and method Fingerprint patterns were determined in 200 (females: n = 152, males: n = 48) dental undergraduate students in the age range of 18 to 24 years. ABO blood grouping was done on saliva by using the absorption-elution method. To determine the accuracy of ABO blood group determination using saliva, it was correlated with the ABO blood grouping in blood.  Observations and result The most common fingerprint pattern was found to be loops (87, 43.50%), followed by whorls (81, 40.50%) and arches (32, 16.00%). The most common blood group was B (68, 34%), followed by O (46, 23%) and A (42, 21%), and the least common was AB (12, 6%). A higher percentage of secretors in saliva was observed in females (130, 86%) than males (38, 79%). The correlation of gender with blood group and fingerprint pattern showed that in males, the most common blood group was B (20, 42%), and the most common fingerprint pattern was whorls (21, 44%). In females, the most common blood group was B (48, 32%), while the most common fingerprint pattern was loop (68, 45%). Conclusion Present study reports an association between blood group and dermatoglyphics, which may help in gender identification. Saliva can be used as a helpful tool in victim identification in cases where blood stains are not available.

UNASSIGNED: In our study, we evaluated the gender dimorphism among dental measurements of selected people in a South Indian district.
UNASSIGNED: In our research, 500 participants between 17 and 25 years of age were included after taking their maxillary arch impressions. Utilizing Korkhaus compass and digital caliper, depth of palatal area as well as maxillary arch as a whole was done. T-test was done to initiate the comparative analysis between the palatal arch and complete maxillary arch depths where P < 0.05 was denoted significant statistically.
UNASSIGNED: It was recorded that complete maxillary arch depth measurements were increased in case of men as compared to women, whereas the measurements related to depth of the palatal arch were not statistically significant.
UNASSIGNED: In our research, we found that complete maxillary arch depth can be utilized for gender segregation accompanied with other auxiliary methods. The mean value for both these measurements can be utilized as a standard measurement for advance research.

Forensic dentistry plays a pivotal role in identifying deceased individuals when visual or other means of identification are not possible, particularly in the aftermath of mass disasters or criminal activities. Accurate and timely identification of the deceased and injured becomes crucial following events like earthquakes, fires, transport accidents, gunshot incidents, floods, tsunamis, bomb blasts, and terrorist attacks. The process of creating a person\'s identity is a formidable task, often relying on prevalent methods such as dental, DNA, and fingerprint analyses. Forensic odontology, a specialized field within dentistry, assumes a significant role in identifying individuals in accidents, civil unrest, natural and mass disasters, and crimes related to genocide. In cases where natural teeth are absent, the marking or labeling of dentures becomes essential for personal identification. Teeth\'s resilience to destruction and decomposition makes dental identification feasible even under extreme conditions. The fundamental principle of forensic dentistry rests on the uniqueness of each individual\'s oral structure, emphasizing that no two mouths are identical, not even in the case of twins. The purpose of this review is to explore the role of forensic dentistry in identifying individuals through various methods such as denture labeling, cheiloscopy, radiographs, bite mark analysis, rugoscopy, salivary signature, age and sex estimation, dental DNA identification, individual characteristics, and denture marking. Based on detailed ante-mortem records from dental specialists, which are compared to postmortem data during investigations, forensic dentistry is a trustworthy technique for identifying deceased individuals and criminals.

Background and objective Human teeth have a significant forensic importance. As they are the hardest of all human tissues, they are not just chemically stable but also their characteristics are maintained for a long time after death even in the most harsh environmental conditions. Despite the advances made in DNA analysis, fingerprinting, etc., ABO blood grouping still plays a significant role in the forensic practice in the field of personal identification, paternity disputes, and several other scenarios including the identification of mass disaster victims. The term blood groups refers to inherited antigens on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs) detected by specific antibodies. Since tooth pulp contains numerous blood vessels, blood group antigens are most certainly bound to be present in tooth pulp. Various studies have shown that blood group antigens in the pulp and dentin are preserved as long as up to two years after the demise of an individual. Absorption-elution technique has been proven to be the most sensitive, reliable, and consistent method to determine the ABO blood group from both the pulp and dentine. This study aimed to ascertain the ABO blood group from both the hard (dentin) as well as the soft tissue (pulp) of the tooth by using the absorption-elution (AE) technique and also to determine if there are any variations in identifying the blood groups from the teeth based on age and gender. Material and methods After obtaining due consent, we included patients of both genders aged between 16-60 years visiting the outpatient department (OPD) clinics at the College of Dentistry for periodontal or orthodontic extractions. One patient\'s blood type was determined by using the slide agglutination technique before any capillary blood extraction was performed; this patient served as a control. For this investigation, we used the pulp and powdered dentin samples taken from the dental extractions to test for the presence of ABO and Rhesus (Rh) factor antigens by using the AE method. The study samples were compared with the control for blood group determination. Statistical analysis was carried out using the chi-square test with Monte Carlo (MC) simulation to check for any correlation of blood grouping with age and gender. Results The dentin and pulp were shown to have positive blood group antigens for the ABO and Rh factors. While neither pulp nor dentin performed significantly differently in identifying the blood group antigens, pulp showed marginally higher accuracy. There was no discernible difference regarding gender or age in the dentin or pulp of any of the 45 samples studied. Conclusions For determining an individual\'s blood type and Rh factor, both the hard (dentin) and soft (pulp) tissues of a tooth are valid sources. This is particularly helpful in forensic medicine cases where teeth are the only remains that can be viably used to find out a person\'s identity.

UNASSIGNED: This study aimed to determine the sex and estimate the age of individuals by analysing Raman spectra obtained from extracted teeth dentine.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 25 male and 26 female extracted teeth were collected, disinfected, and fixed in auto acrylate before being cut near the cervical margin. The inclusion criteria were non endodontically treated teeth with the cervical third of the tooth crown preserved. The exposed dentine was recorded using a Raman spectrometer, with 100 scans per dentine site in the spectral range of 3500 to 200 cm-1 and a resolution of 4 cm-1. Background-corrected, normalized, and decomposed spectra were subjected to principal component analysis using MATLAB 2010 (The MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA). To assess age differences, prominent vibrational bands were observed and statistically analyzed, while sex differentiation employed the T-test on acquired data, exploring vibrational bands with significant intensity differences.
UNASSIGNED: The obtained results revealed a segmentation of spectra in the male sample group based on the age of teeth at extraction, with an accuracy of age estimation at 7.0048 years. A similar segmentation was observed in the female sample group, with an accuracy of 9.3863 years.
UNASSIGNED: The recorded spectra were organized into datasets and analyzed with principal component analysis, demonstrating the feasibility of sex determination and age estimation using Raman spectra of teeth. Differences in classification accuracy between sexes may be attributed to hormonally-mediated differences in the biochemical composition of dentine between males and females. The findings of this study can provide valuable insights into methods for forensic and anthropological applications.