The Good and Bad Legacies of Forensic Odontology

Abstract

ABSTRACTModern science is based on the acknowledgment of change and adaptation of beliefs, methods, generated by vigorous periods of discovery. Forensic science and dental science are no exception. Nearly a quarter of the 3,345 of those exonerated in the United States since 1989 were wrongfully convicted based on false or misleading forensic science. This includes bitemark comparison “identification.” This paper is a brief look into how bitemark comparisons contributed to 34 of these miscarriages of justice and, due to compelling research and legal analysis, they have now been debunked via numerous scientific reviewing agencies and legal authorities in the United States (US).

Keywords

• Bitemarks and wrongful convictions
• bitemark comparison
• forensic dentistry
• junk forensic science
• human dental identification