PubMed · 11365950
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1998-10-16. Probation for biting.. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11365950/
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Thirty-two certified diplomates of the American Board of Forensic odontology (ABFO) participated in a study of the accuracy of bitemark analysis. Examiner experience as board-certified odontologists ranged from 2 to 22 years. Examiners were given sets of photographs (a cast in 1 case) of 4 bitemark cases and asked to report their certainty that each case was truly a bitemark and the apparent value of the case as forensic evidence. Participants also received 7 occluding sets of dental casts, 1 correct dentition for each case and three unrelated to any of the cases, and asked to rate how certain they were that each set of teeth had made each bitemark. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis resulted in an accuracy score of 0.86 (95% CI=0.82-0.91). Youden's index was used to determine a cutoff point for determining an accuracy score for each case. Accuracy scores were significantly correlated with bitemark certainty and forensic value (P<0.001 in both cases) but not with examiner experience (P=0.958). The use of individual ROC analysis with weighted Youden's index to calibrate individual accuracy was also demonstrated.
Teeth are often used as weapons when one person attacks another or when a victim tries to ward off an assailant. It is relatively simple to record the evidence from the injury and the teeth for comparison of the shapes, sizes and pattern that are present. However, this comparative analysis is often very difficult, especially since human skin is curved, elastic, distortable and undergoing oedema. In many cases, though, conclusions can be reached about any role a suspect may have played in a crime. Additionally, traces of saliva deposited during biting can be recovered to acquire DNA evidence and this can be analyzed to determine who contributed this biological evidence. If dentists are aware of the various methods to collect and preserve bitemark evidence from victims and suspects it may be possible for them to assist the justice system to identify and prosecute violent offenders. This paper reviews the recognition and recovery of this evidence and provides insight into modern methods used to investigate bitemark evidence from heinous crimes.
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