International dental materials

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Tiffany - 30 May 2008 02:37 GMT

I am a dentistry student from the University of Manitoba, Canada. I am
currently involved in a research about using dental materials to
identify human corpse. The goal of the project is to construct a
database of different brands of materials, which samples from crime
scenes can be matched against. I am hoping to get intraoral materials
from different countries to aid identify the nationalities of the
deceased. The result will be used to help solve future cases. If
dentists from around the world can donate some sample sealant, crowns,
cement, restoration material, resin, amalgam, orthodontic wire,
orthodontic brackets, implant...etc for this project, it would be a
great assistance to the project. Please email tsycheung@gmail.com if
you are interested in donating dental materials. Thank you!

Reply to this Message

Steven Bornfeld - 30 May 2008 04:08 GMT

> I am a dentistry student from the University of Manitoba, Canada. I am
> currently involved in a research about using dental materials to
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> great assistance to the project. Please email tsycheung@gmail.com if
> you are interested in donating dental materials. Thank you!

With respect:
Forensic odontology is a well-established science, and as you surely
know identification of bodies that have been severely damaged is often
possible by dental charting, since in these cases (the prime example
being airplane crashes) the teeth are the tissue most likely to survive.
But dental materials? I use dental materials made in the U.S, Germany,
Japan, France, and probably Scandinavia. Many of these materials are
either made by multinationals or have international distribution
networks. I don't see how a survey of dental materials can help much
in determining nationality.

Steve

Reply to this Message

John & Ninetta - 30 May 2008 11:51 GMT

>I am a dentistry student from the University of Manitoba, Canada. I am
> currently involved in a research about using dental materials to
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> great assistance to the project. Please email tsycheung@gmail.com if
> you are interested in donating dental materials. Thank you!

Ahhh...the summer research studentship at dental school...I know it well.
Seems like they still don't properly fund them.

I am curious as to how *samples* of materials will help build a database.
The usual identification based on forensic odontological examination is
comparison of postmortem to antemortem radiographs. Is the intent to grind
up the materials from dead people to figure out what is in them and then
compare them to a dental chart notation? Are you looking at radiographic
appearance of different materials? Please provide us with more detail on
your project.

John

Reply to this Message

Newbie@bix.nex - 31 May 2008 19:11 GMT

>Ahhh...the summer research studentship at dental school...I know it well.
>Seems like they still don't properly fund them.

Mebbe someone just wants some free materials to stock
their own new dental office ?

Oh, cynical me.

Reply to this Message