The level of confidence of dentists in identifying intact and sectioned teeth.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the confidence levels of dentists in identifying intact and sectioned human teeth and to identify the factors contributing to variations in confidence levels.

Design: An anonymous Jisc e-survey showing 14 questions was sent to dentists worldwide. Apart from acquiring demographic details of the participants, ten three-dimensional (3D) tooth models were presented for tooth identification including the opinion on the level of confidence in identifying.

MANDI-Code: A Coding System for the human mandible.

Background: The mandible provides valuable insights into its biological identity. However, the existence of several terminologies for mandibular measurements and inconsistent language can lead to misinterpretation, confusion, and miscommunication.

Highlight: A standardised set of anatomical points, planes, and measurements would assist with these issues and ensure reproducibility and comparability.

A scoping review of websites for forensic odontology training programs.

Background: Forensic Odontology developed as a discipline in 1898 with the publication of its first textbook; however, 126 years later, a standardised core curriculum for formal training in Forensic Odontology has yet to be decided. This website scoping review aims to provide information on three main distinct categories (and 17 subcategories): Availability, Content, and Quality of Forensic Odontology education globally. The information on formal education programmes was gathered by conducting a web search using 'Google Search' in English, Arabic, Spanish, and French languages between June and July 2022.

Dental damage: Creating 3D anatomical models to illustrate destructive effects on human teeth.

Forensic odontologists often must identify human remains with damaged teeth. This damage is due to high-impact accidents, violence, or disasters. This 2-part study aimed to create two 3D digital models.

Attitudes of UK pathologists and judicial officers towards medicolegal view and grant examinations: a cross-sectional mixed-methods study.

Aims: Despite the 1988 'Dundee Initiative', which maximised the use of view and grant examinations to reduce the invasive forensic autopsy rate in Tayside, the view and grant itself remains controversial. This is the first study to measure attitudes towards view and grants, applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour to investigate what attitudes are held, the reasons behind them and their association with deciding the scope of postmortem examinations.

Methods: A mixed-methods cross-sectional study examined 62 UK pathologists, coroners and procurators fiscal using an online questionnaire.

Identifying teeth and tooth fragments from digital 3D models.

Dental anatomy is an essential skill for human identification in forensic odontology. With the advent of technology enabling virtual autopsies, there is scope for virtual consultation by forensic odontologists especially when the expertise is unavailable but needed in zones of conflict or disasters. This study aimed to investigate potential benefits and challenges of identifying intact and damaged teeth from 3D scanned digital models.

Biological profiling using the human mandible.

Background: In the absence of soft tissue, skeletal remains are analyzed to identify the deceased. This assessment involves establishing the biological profile that aids medicolegal investigations and fulfils the right of the dead to be identified. Since the mandible is the strongest bone in the skull and easily identifiable, even when fragmented, this study aimed to systematically review its value in constructing the biological profile in the published literature.

Age Estimation Using Monoradicular Teeth by comparing Pulp/Tooth Area Ratios between Bucco-lingual and Mesio-distal Periapical Radiographs.

Background: Age estimation is an integral tool in identification of the victims when visual identification is not possible. Secondary dentin deposition is a regular ageing process and can be utilized in dental age estimation when development and eruption parameters cannot be utilized.

Methods: In total, 38 monoradicular teeth of Nepalese subjects were assessed for tooth pulp ratio.

Pakistan's position in the world of forensic odontology and dental records.

Background: Forensic Odontology (FO) still strives for recognition in some countries such as Pakistan. Natural and man-made disasters, along with child abuse cases and age estimation for child marriages and juvenile imprisonments in Pakistan justify its applicability.

Aims: This study investigated the awareness, information, training, practice and interest in FO in dental professionals in Pakistan.

Exploring the degrees of distortion in simulated human bite marks.

The properties of the skin and the posture of the body during photographic recording are factors that cause distortion in the bite mark injury. This study aimed to explore the degree of distortion between a 'touch mark' (method 1) and a 'bite mark' (method 2) on the left upper arm at three different positions (arm relaxed; arm flexed in two different positions). A pair of dental casts with biting edges coated in ink was used to create a mark in 30 subjects (6 ♂, 24 ♀) aged 20-50 years old.

Testing the London atlas for age estimation in Thai population.

To test the London atlas for dental age (ADA) estimation in Thai population. The London atlas for age estimation was tested in 111 digital panoramic radiographs of children (57 ♂ and 54 ♀) aged between 4.00 and 15.

Better clinical and post mortem photography: A crash course in ten technical tips.

For forensic clinicians and pathologists, photography of bodily regions, injuries and skin lesions present a number of technical challenges including proper framing, avoidance of distortion, choice of background and inclusion of a properly orientated scale. Photography of internal organs at autopsy presents further difficulties with regard to correct exposure, light reflections and limited depth of field. Situations commonly arise in clinical forensic and autopsy practice which require photographic documentation but which may not warrant calling upon the clinical photographer or police Scenes of Crime Officer.

Fashion for a reason: Oral jewellery to aid forensic odontology.

Jewellery along with other personal effects have been used for human identification and acknowledged in the INTERPOL (The International Criminal Police Organization) DVI (disaster victim identification) forms. It is hypothesised that modified oral jewellery has scope as a unique personal effect that can be used in combination with other identifiers. The main aim of this study was to investigate the opinions on the use of modified tooth/oral jewellery items among 90 subjects.

Accuracy of dental identification of individuals with unrestored permanent teeth by visual comparison with radiographs of mixed dentition.

Forensic dentistry plays a major role in human identification. Teeth carry individual characteristics that differ among different individuals. Dental radiographs depict reality objectively, being the most reliable tool for dental identification.

A systematic review on ricochet gunshot injuries.

Ricocheted bullets may still retain sufficient kinetic energy to cause gunshot injuries. Accordingly, this paper reviews the literature surrounding gunshot injuries caused by ricocheted bullets. In doing so, it discusses the characteristics of ricochet entrance wounds and wound tracks, noting several important considerations for assessment of a possible ricochet incident.

Meta-analysis of the prevalence of renal cancer detected by abdominal ultrasonography.

Background: The potential for an ultrasound-based screening programme for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) to improve survival through early detection has been the subject of much debate. The prevalence of ultrasound-detected asymptomatic RCC is an important first step to establishing whether a screening programme may be feasible.

Methods: A systematic search of MEDLINE and Embase was performed up to March 2016 to identify studies reporting the prevalence of renal masses and RCC.

Three-dimensional imaging of human cutaneous forearm bite marks in human volunteers over a 4 day period.

Introduction: Human bite marks are often sustained during sexual, domestic or child abuse. Currently, analysis of these marks involves digital photography techniques along with an expert forensic odontologist opinion. Photographs often focus closely on the bite mark and give little context to the anatomical location of the injury.

Intra-individual and inter-individual variation in breath alcohol pharmacokinetics: Variation over three visits.

Eleven male and 7 female student subjects underwent serial Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC) measurements after being given alcohol as 13% white wine (5.7 ml/kg for males and 4.7 ml/kg for females) in a fasting state on three separate occasions.

Postmortem redistribution of the heroin metabolites morphine and morphine-3-glucuronide in rabbits over 24 h.

The interpretation of postmortem drug levels is complicated by changes in drug blood levels in the postmortem period, a phenomena known as postmortem drug redistribution. We investigated the postmortem redistribution of the heroin metabolites morphine and morphine-3-glucuronide in a rabbit model. Heroin (1 mg/kg) was injected into anesthetised rabbit; after 1 h, an auricular vein blood sample was taken and the rabbit was euthanised.

Nefopam Hydrochloride: A Fatal Overdose.

Nefopam is a non-opiate analgesic commonly used for the treatment of moderate to severe pain. A case of a 37-year-old male who was found dead in the morning is presented. An autopsy was performed and femoral venous blood, heart blood, urine, and vitreous humor were submitted for toxicological analysis.

Analysis of phenazepam and 3-hydroxyphenazepam in post-mortem fluids and tissues.

Phenazepam is a benzodiazepine that is predominantly used clinically in the former Soviet states but is being abused throughout the wider world. This study reports the tissue distribution and concentration of both phenazepam and 3-hydroxyphenazepam in 29 cases quantitated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in a variety of post-mortem fluids (subclavian blood, femoral blood, cardiac blood, urine, vitreous humour) and tissues (thalamus, liver and psoas muscle). In 27 cases, the cause of death was not directly related to phenazepam (preserved (fluoride/oxalate) femoral blood phenazepam concentrations 0.

Intra-individual and inter-individual variation in breath alcohol pharmacokinetics: the effect of short-term variation.

Ten male and 8 female students underwent serial breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) measurements on a CAMIC Datamaster on two consecutive occasions, early evening and again the following morning. Subjects were fasted for 6 h before receiving alcohol as white wine (12.5% by volume) at doses of 38-45 g for males and 26-37 g for females, consumed over 10 min.

Stability of 3,4-methylenedioxymethampetamine (MDMA), 4-methylmethcathinone (mephedrone) and 3-trifluromethylphenylpiperazine (3-TFMPP) in formalin solution.

Occasionally, the only postmortem samples available for analysis are contaminated with formaldehyde, either due to embalming prior to sampling or because analysis is carried out only when formalin-fixed tissues retained for histological study are available. Formaldehyde reacts with several drugs of forensic interest that contain either a primary or a secondary amine group to form their N-methyl derivatives. We investigated the stability of 3,4-methylenedioxymethampetamine (MDMA), 4-methylmethcathinone (mephedrone) and 3-trifluromethylphenylpiperazine (3-TFMPP) in formalin solutions using three different formaldehyde concentrations (5, 10 and 20%) and three different pHs (3.

Four fatalities involving 5-IT.

The new designer drug 5-(2-aminopropyl)indole (5-IT) is an indole derivative with stimulant properties. Its synthesis was first described by Albert Hofmann and Franz Troxler in 1962. We report four deaths associated with 5-IT and a validated high-performance liquid chromatography method for quantitation of the drug.