Uniqueness of human tooth morphology in medical imaging for human dental identification purpose

Human dental identification (HDI) is based on the comparison of post-mortem (PM) and ante-mortem (AM) collected odontological evidences. The quality and quantity of these evidences play an essential role in providing a positive identification. In open identification cases positive dentalidentification is established under the assumption that the human dentition is unique for each individual.

In forensic identification practice an increasing need exists to prove the morphological uniqueness of human teeth and dentition, allowing to establish legally incontestable HDI. Morphological assessment of tooth parts, the whole tooth and dentition needs to be studied, in order to proof uniqueness of human teeth (UHT) and to establish a standard regarding a minimum number of corresponding morphological parameters necessary for positive identification.

This research aims to prove the morphologic uniqueness of the human teeth and dentition for forensic human dental identification purposes.

Retrospective collection of 2D (intra-oral photographs, bitewing radiographs, periapical radiographs, panoramic radiographs) and 3D (digital dental casts, µCT, CBCT, MRI) medical images will be established. Part of the extracted morphological data will be used as a training sample and the remaining part as a test sample. On these samples the morphological parameters with the highest identifying performance will be searched and validated. 

This research will provide evidence on the uniqueness of human teeth based on medical image registrations.