Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research (Feb 2023)

Ameloglyphics-An Advancement in Forensic Science

  • Harshita Ramdev Ganeshani,
  • Priyanka Paul Madhu,
  • Namrata J Mantri,
  • Dushyant Datkar

DOI
https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2023/60709.17449
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 2
pp. ZE05 – ZE09

Abstract

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The human teeth are considered as hard tissues similar to finger impressions (trustworthy means in a body found before decay or marring). Forensic dentistry is a comparatively young science that employs the awareness of dentists to assist the legal system. It has recognised itself as a vital science in medical and legal problems, particularly in the areas of individual recognition, sex determination, and age approximation. Teeth are highly repellent to surrounding influences like erosion, dehydration, putrefaction, and they can be utilised as criminal proofs. Skeletal remains, particularly teeth, can be used to identify people in crimes and catastrophic disasters. Enamel rod end motifs have recently become prominent as a subject of study. Ameloglyphics is a phrase that has been used to describe the investigation of these prints. The tooth imprints are one of a kind with differences between teeth from different people as well as within the same person. In terms of criminal dental recognition, mostly when it comes to recognising preys of man-made disasters, such as multiple casualties in army conflicts and wars, new and applicable methods of recognition and validation are urgently needed. This review article focuses on the rationale for employing enamel rod end patterns, as well as the methods for collecting them and identifying their sub-patterns and further suggests these tooth prints as analogues for fingerprints in deceased identification in disasters, crimes and other tragedies.

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