Individualization of the dental arch as a potential tool in forensic human identification

Abstract

Background: The dental arch form is underappreciated in establishing human identity. Most of the time, the teeth are considered, although the arch form can disclose a great deal about a person's profile. Aim: The aim is to determine the morphological variability in the arch form of an individual's maxilla and mandible. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study that was conducted in 219 dental casts made for various dental treatment purposes at the Tribhuvan University Dental Teaching Hospital, Institute of Medicine, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal. The study was conducted over 6 months from January 1, 2021, to July 31, 2021. The arch form was categorized into oval, square, and tapering. Results: The average age of the individuals was 20.71 ± 4.66 for males and 19.25 ± 5.18 for females. The oval arch form was more common in both the jaws, with 38.81% and 63.93% in the maxilla and mandible, respectively, followed by square and tapered forms. Conclusion: The morphological variability of an individual's arch form is astounding. This can be used to limit down the search in human identification. Although it may not be able to establish identification, it can be a useful tool for narrowing down the options throughout the scientific identification process.