Bitemarks in chocolate: a case report.

Police investigating a theft from a chocolate factory recovered three pieces of chocolate with irregular fractured surfaces displaying a pattern of marks made by human teeth. A highly accuracy dental impression material was used to prepare casts of these marks which were examined and photomicrographed, confirming that they had in fact been produced by human teeth. Casts and photomicrographs of the suspect's teeth were made in order to record the fine details of the casts of the dentition. Unique characteristics evident on these casts included a small notch on the incisal edge of the upper right lateral incisor, wear facets on the incisal edges of the upper central incisors and on the lower right lateral incisor and a space of approximately 1.5 mm between the upper left central incisor and lateral incisor which was rotated about 20 degrees distally. Both direct and photomicrographic comparisons between the casts of the chocolates and of the suspect's dentition revealed correspondence between their unique characteristics.

Evaluation of a bitemark using clear acrylic replicas of the suspect's dentition--a case report.

An assault occurred during which a bite was inflicted on the left ear of the victim, producing a laceration and severing a portion of tissue from the ear. During the course of their investigation police recovered a lacerated fragment of tissue thought to be of a person's left ear. Impressions of a suspect's dentition were made and cast in dental stone. Positive replicas of the occlusal surfaces of the suspect's dentition were subsequently made using acrylic resin. The ear fragment displayed a lacerated border and a surface which exhibited indentations. When compared with the details of the suspect's lower anterior teeth, correspondence was visible between the shape of the indentations and characteristics of the suspect's dentition. The use of transparent acrylic replicas of the suspect's dentition facilitated the interpretation and comparison between the marks retained in the ear fragment and the features of the suspect's dentition.