Teeth
can be used as weapons of aggression or self-defense. Bite
marks are usually found on victims of homicide, rape, assault,
and child abuse. The dynamics of what occurs on the surface
of the skin and below the epidermis during the act of biting
has many variables. It is the responsibility of the forensic
odontologist to accurately document and reproduce an image
of these pattern injuries that depicts the dental signature
of the perpetrator of the wound, then compare that evidence
to persons of interest and thereby formulate conclusions.
Accuracy
in bite mark documentation is crucial to the cooperative
effort and interaction between the investigating odontologist,
the law enforcement agency, and the judicial system. This
section will demonstrate the advantages of techniques that
employ ultra-violet and fluorescent illumination for gathering
additional information that is not visible under full-spectrum
lighting conditions and provide links to actual cases where
bite mark evidence was crucial to the outcome of the judicial
process.e 1
Case 1
Case 2
Alternate
Light and UVA photographic techniques
