Age estimation: the state of the art in relation to the specific demands of forensic practise.

Age estimation in cadavers, human remains and living individuals may clarify issues with significant legal and social ramifications for individuals as well as for the community. In such cases methods for estimating age should fulfil the following specific demands: (1) they must have been presented to the scientific community, as a rule by publication in peer-reviewed journals, (2) clear information concerning accuracy of age estimation by the method should be available, (3) the methods need to be sufficiently accurate and (4) in cases of age estimation in living individuals principles of medical ethics and legal regulations have to be considered. We have identified and summarized the methods that essentially fulfil these specific demands.

On denture marking.

During the last decades in Sweden dentures have been permanently marked with a stainless steel metal band incorporated into the acrylic and containing the patient's birth date, a special number, and "S" for Sweden. The last recommendation issued by the National Board of Health and Welfare states that "the patients shall always be offered denture marking and be informed about the benefit thereof. Denture marking is not permitted if the patient refuses it".

A review of the methodological aspects of aspartic acid racemization analysis for use in forensic science.

Accurate age determination of adult cadavers and human remains is a key requirement in forensic practice. The current morphological methods lack accuracy and precision, require specialist training and are costly. The use of aspartic acid racemization (AAR) in human dentine provides a simple, cost-effective solution and the method can achieve accuracies of +/- 3 years at best.

Dental condition and identification marking of dentures in homes for the elderly in Göteborg, Sweden.

Denture marking is of crucial importance especially in homes for the elderly where dentures could be misplaced, particularly during cleaning by staff where there is a chance of loss or mix-up. Recent research regarding denture marking in homes for the elderly shows that only about 50% of the dentures were marked and that the issue should receive attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the number of subjects with natural teeth and the number of edentulous subjects in homes for the elderly in Göteborg, Sweden.

Tooth wear and temporomandibular joint morphology in a skull material from the 17th century.

Skeletal remnants from the skulls of 69 subjects from the 17th century have been studied focusing on TMJ morphology and tooth wear. Several of the skulls were damaged and altogether 68 condyles and 28 temporal components of the TMJ, and 97 dentate jaws could be examined. Tooth wear was extensive and most of the first molars in both jaws had lost most of their occlusal morphology.