Peter W. Loomis D.D.S. - Diplomate, American Board of Forensic Odontology  

Human Identification

Identification of unknown remains is of paramount importance to grieving loved ones, to investigative agencies, and to society at large. The facilitation of the identification and release of the victim to their family, not only provides a humanitarian service relieving some of the feelings of suffering and helplessness, but also satisfies the medico-legal requirements by issuing a death certificate so family members may collect life insurance proceeds and settle business and personal affairs.

Teeth are the hardest tissue of the body and as such can withstand trauma, decomposition, heat degradation, water immersion, and desiccation better than any other tissue.  That leaves other methods of identification - visual, fingerprints, anthropological, medical and DNA at a disadvantage.  Since most persons in our country have attended a dentist at some point during life, there will exist a dental record and or dental x-rays to facilitate a comparison.  Most persons do not have fingerprints on file, medical x-rays of fractured bones, sinuses, ribs, deformities, or medical hardware which could be compared to post-mortem x-rays.

Dental identification takes two main forms. The first is comparative identification that is used to establish that the remains of a decedent and a person represented by ante-mortem (before death) dental records are the same individual.  Information from the body or circumstances usually contains clues as to who has died, and from those clues ante-mortem dental records are obtained, which are then compared to the post-mortem (after death) dental findings.  Secondly, in those cases where ante-mortem records are not available, and no clues to the possible identity exist, a post-mortem dental profile is completed by the forensic dentist suggesting characteristics of the individual in order to narrow the search for ante-mortem materials.

Teeth can also be used as a source of DNA to make an identification.  The dental pulp or even an entire crushed tooth can provide nuclear or mitochondrial DNA that can be analyzed and compared to direct or indirect DNA reference sources.

My services for dental identification include ante-mortem record collection and evaluation, preparation of an ante-mortem composite dental chart, post-mortem dental examination, including resection if necessary, dental charting, digital radiographs, photographs, and a sample of dental pulp tissue to submit for DNA analysis.  Comparison of the ante-mortem composite record with the post-mortem findings is done, or profiling of the dental evidence if no comparative record is available, a comprehensive report is prepared and data is input into NCIC and NamUs databases as well as the NM statewide missing persons database using WinID3.

                                 Postmortem^*                                                             Antemortem^*

^{* Negative identification; At first glance these teeth appear similar, but look more closely.}

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Last modified: 04/17/04