Abstract
Identification of unknown bodies is mainly made by dental examination and comparison with accurate dental records. Therefore it is necessary to examine the jaws carefully and to locate every tooth-coloured dental restoration. Overlooking dental fillings can make positive identification impossible. The technique described prepares the natural dental hard tissue by etching with 37% phosphoric acid. In the next step an indicator colours the roughened dental tissue but not the polished restoration material. In this way all 15 tested dental restoration materials could be detected with high sensitivity.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 18 November 1997
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Benthaus, S., DuChesne, A. & Brinkmann, B. A new technique for the postmortem detection of tooth-coloured dental restorations. Int J Leg Med 111, 157–159 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004140050138
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004140050138