Module 1:

Foundational Skills

Human Dental Comparison

Human Dental Identification

Report Writing

​

Week 1
Introduction to Forensic Dentistry

Principles of a Medico Legal Autopsy

Principles of Human Dental Comparison

Principles of Human Dental Identification

​

Week 2
Race and Gender Determination

Cranial, Mandibular, Dental and Arch Morphology

​

Week 3
Forensic Dental Photography

​

Week 4
Forensic Dental Radiography

​

Week 5
Categories and Terminology in Body Dental Comparison and Identification

Overview

Report Writing

​

* WEEKLY PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENTS

* WEEKLY ZOOM WEBINARS WITH THE COURSE DIRECTOR

​

 

Module 2:

Mass Disaster Management

Circumstances in Disaster Situations

Oral and Facial Conditions

WinID

​

Week 1
Medico-legal Work in Major Disasters
Guidelines and Problems in Disasters
Burned, Incinerated and carbonized
Extreme Heat on Teeth, Root Canal Filling, Resins, Ceramics
Trauma and Heat Related Fractures
UV and Dental Restorations, SEM

​

Week 2
Problems in Mass-Disaster Dental Identification Implants
Implants

The Edentulous
Trabecular Bone in Identification

Fractal Analysis

​

Week 3
Role of the Dental Disaster Team in Mass Fatality Incidents
Maintaining Proper Identification
Suicidal Terrorism
The Pathology of Terrorism: Biological, Infectious and Chemical Terrorism
Terrorism X-Ray Screening

​

Week 4
Design and Assessment of Mock Mass Disaster
Aviation Pathology

Mutilation
Trauma

​

Week 5
Guidelines for Explosion Fatalities

War and Genocide Graves

Exhumation

​

Week 6
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Adipocere
Luminol
Radiocarbon and Strontium Dating
Thermography

​

Week 7
Rap Up
Emotional and Psychological Impact
Lessons Learned in Disaster Situations
Forensic Dental Career

​

* WEEKLY PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENTS

* WEEKLY ZOOM WEBINARS WITH THE COURSE DIRECTOR

​

​

Module 3:

Human Dental Age Assessment

Human Dental Age Assessment Report Writing

​

Week 1
Forensic Oral Examination of Children versus Adults

ABFO Standards & Guidelines for Dental Age Assessment

​

Week 2
Human Age Assessment by Dental Analysis:

Pre-natal, Child, Adolescent, Adult Dentitions

Ageing Techniques:

AlQahtani

Demirjian

Harris

Moorees, Fanning, Hunt

​

Week 3
Human Age Assessment by Dental Analysis

Adult Dentition vs Legal Age

Ageing Techniques:

Alqahtani

Demirjian

Mincer

Nortje, etc.

​

Week 4
Human Age Assessment by Dental Analysis:

Adult Dentition

Ageing Techniques:

Bang, Ramm

Cameriere

Johanson

Kvaal

Lamendin

Maples

Prince, Ubelaker

​

Week 5
Human Dental Age Assessment Report Writing

​

* WEEKLY PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENTS

* WEEKLY ZOOM WEBINARS WITH THE COURSE DIRECTOR

​

​

Module 4:

Pattern Injury Characteristics

Pattern Injury Made by Teeth

Bitemark Report Writing

Bitemark Comparison

Bitemark Comparison Report Writing

 

Week 1
History of Bitemark Evidence
Human Abuse Recognition:

Medical Examiner, Coroner, Pathologist, Dentist, Nurse, Caretaker, Teacher, Family Member

Forms of Abuse:

Child, Intimate and non-intimate Partner, Elder Abuse

Types of Abuse:

Physical, Emotional/Psychological, Sexual, Financial, Medical Assessment, Collection, and Documentation of Evidence for Oral and Peri-Oral Manifestations of Human Abuse

​

Week 2
Animal and Carnivore Bitemarks

​

Week 3
Recognition of Suspected Pattern of Human Dental Origin Terminology

Anatomical Location

Cutaneous Injuries:

Central Contusions, Linear Abrasions and Contusions, Lingual Markings, Tongue Thrusting, Acute Inflammatory Reaction, Tooth Identation

Pattern Injury Characteristics:

Abrasion, Bruise, Contusion, Laceration, Petecial Hemorrhage, Avulsion, Incision, Indentation, Drag Marks, Unkown

Tissue Characteristics:

Fixed Substrate, Mobile Substrate, Substrate Elasticity

Substrate Characteristics:

Physical Characteristics, Pattern Colour, Surface, Surface Contour

​

Week 4
Class Characteristics of the Human Bitemark:

Pattern Landmark, Pattern Shape, Pattern Metrics, Circumferential Distance, Linear Distance, Cuspidal Eminence, Intercuspal Distance, Intercanine Distance, Dental Midline, Arch Midline, Consistent with the Size & Shape of Human Dentition, Primary, Mixed, Permanent Dentition

Individual Characteristics of the Human Bitemark:

Individual Arch & Dental Characteristics, Diastema, Incisal Edge, Incisal Edge Shape, Incisal Edge Metrics, Incisal Edge Angulation

Orientation of the Bite Mark

Less Than Ideal Human Bitemark

Terms Indicating a Bitemark

​

Week 5
Nature of Bitemarks and Tissue Specimens

Transillumination & Histology

Histology and Timing of Injury

Bitemark Distortion

Static vs Non-Static BM

Pattern, Lesions and Trauma Mimicking Bitemarks

​

Week 6
Photographic Documentation of Suspected Pattern of Dental Origin

Terms and Definitions:

Aperture, Bracketing, Camera Sensor, Composition, Depth of Field, File Compression, Flash, Focus, Light Source, Compression, Macro Photography, Maginification, Photographic Scale

Equipment and Materials:

Camera, Lens, Flash or Light Source, Photographic Scale, Retractors and Mirrors

Guidelines for Evidentiary Quality Photographs:

Orientation Images, Minimizing Distortion, Non-Metric Close-UP Images, Metric Close-Up Images, Photographing Non-Flat Substrates

Types of Photography:

Colour, B&W, ALI, UV, IR

Metadata, Lens Correction and Other Prerequisites to Pattern Analysis

Best Practices

Practicial Tips in Bitemark Photography

Image Processing, Analysis, Security, Storage, Archiving of Images

Cybersecurity Protocols and Secure Messaging Techniques

​

Week 7
Other Evidence Collection of Suspected Pattern of Dental Origina

Pattern Injury DNS Recovery

Salivary DNS

Microscopy

Skin Scanners vs Bitemark Impressions

Chain of Custody

​

Week 8
Documentation of Suspected Pattern of Dental Origin

Case Information, Examination, Pattern Location, Features, Description, Measurements

Pattern Analysis

Digital Analysis

Evidentiary Value:

Photographs Need to be Focused, Illuminated, Properly Exposed, Lens Corrct, with Known Plane of Image, and with Image Angular Correction. The Size and Shape of EAch Dental Arch with Its Midline Must Be Indentified, as are Individual Teeth

​

Week 9
ABFO Standards and Guidelines for Evaluating Bitemards

Pattern Injury Report Content

Pattern Location, Measurements and Orientation

Type of Dentition: 

Animal, Human:

Primary, Mixed, Permanent Dentition

AM vs PM Bitemarks

Evidentiary Value

Terms Indicating a Pattern Injury is or is not a Bitemark

​

Week 10

Blinding

Dental Line-Up: Person(s) of Interest and Individuals as Foils

Evidence Collection of the Dentitions:

Written Consent, Search Warrant, Subpoena, or Court Order

Medical and Dental History

Facial, Oral, Other Exam

Photography

Intraoral Scanner - Virtual 3D Digital Dental Models (Orthopix, etc) vs Dental Casts

Methods of Comparison, Overlays

Bitemark Comparison Report Writing Content:

Preliminary, Interim or Final Report

Introduction, Inventory of Evidence Received, Inventory of Evidence Collected, Findings Regarding the Pattern, Analysis, Overlays, Test Bites, Other Results, Conlusions, Disclaimer

Linkage Terminology Betweek the Bitemard and the Dentitions

Independent Verification in the Form of a Second Opinion

​

Week 11

Quantification, Uniqueness, Individualization, Probability, Reliability of Bitemark Evidence

Match and Error Rates in Forensic Science

Randomness in Forensic Science

Rosluving Issues in Bitemark Analysis

Contextual Information, Observer, Cognitive, Confirmation Bias

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Forensic Odontology

Ethics and Ethical Issues in Forensic Odontology

​

Week 12

Science and the Law

Case Law

Dental Expert Witness

Contracting with an Expert Witness

Expert Witness Guiidelines & Testimony

Courtroom Aids

Expert Disagreement

Legal Liability of an Expert Witness

Rule 702 of the Federal Rulees of Evidence

​

Week 13

NAS, PCAST, TFSC NIST Reports

Peer Review in Forensic Science

A Historic Perspective of Bitemark analysis and Bitemark Comparison

Forensic Misdiagnosis

Wrongful Convictions and Erroneous Bitemark Opinions

Contextual Contamination of Forensic Evidence by Post-Conviction Litigators

In Defense of Forensic Pattern Identification

​

* WEEKLY PRACTICAL ASSIGNMENTS

* WEEKLY ZOOM WEBINARS WITH THE COURSE DIRECTOR

​

​