Individualization through Observation of the Characteristic of

Alveolar Bone of Edentulous Skulls

Reinaldy Octavianus Yan Dimpudus

, Eko Prastyo

and Myrtati Dyah Artaria

Forensic Science Study Program, Post Graduate Studies, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia

The Department of Anthropology, FISIP, Universitas Airlangga, Jl. Airlangga 4-6 Surabaya 60286 Indonesia

Keywords: Individualization, Edentulous, Antemortem, Postmortem, Unique Characteristic of Individual.

Abstract: The loss of permanent teeth in an adult is highly undesirable. Usually, a tooth loss is caused by periodontal

disease, trauma, and or caries. A long period of time of toothless condition will cause pathological migration

of the remaining teeth and decreased alveolar bone in the edentulous region. The aim of this study is to

observe the characteristics of the alveolar bones of some edentulous skulls. Observations made on the 10

skulls in The Department of Anatomy and Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga. The teeth

loss antemortem could be differentiated from postmortem loss. Based on our observations on the edentulous

skulls, it is found that the characteristic of the alveolar bones differed from each other based on the different

rate of remodelling on the living tissue of the alveolar bone, during the life of the individuals. It can be

concluded that the edentulous condition has a certain characteristic according to the length of time of the

tooth loss, which can be compared to the data of the individual during life. It can help to identify an

unknown individual based on the unique characteristic found on the alveolar bone of the edentulous

individual.

1 INTRODUCTION

Individualization is a part of identification related to

unidentified human remains. Individualization

describes characters and identification of human

based on the skeletal remains. Information collected

from individualization would increase the number of

data of a biographical profile according to skeletal

remains. In other words, individualization data is

supporting data in the identification process.

(Koesbardiati et al., 2016).

Tooth loss (edentulous) is a condition where

organism loose one or more teeth from its socket.

The condition mainly happened to children aged

around 6 years where the deciduous teeth are being

replaced by the permanent teeth. However, tooth

loss in adult age is a highly undesirable situation.

Generally, edentulous happens due to periodontal

disease, trauma, and dental caries (Anshary et al.,

2014).

Trauma can be interpreted as dental or

periodontal tissue damage due to contact with

objects that are not previously suspected on the

teeth, either upper jaw (Maxilla), lower jaw

(Mandible), or both. Dental trauma possibly occur

directly and indirectly. Direct dental trauma

happened when a hard object directly crash teeth.

Indirect dental trauma, on the other hand, occurred

when crash happened to the jaw, lead teeth in the

lower jaw immidiately crashes teeth in the upper jaw

in a great force such as in accident, hit by a hard

object, and in a fight (cause break in teeth or

misplacement of teeth from its socket) (Siagian,

2016).

Trauma analysis and other transformation in

skeleton could support individual identification

related to the death cause and condition. This

involves changes in physical bone characteristic.

Trauma also refers to physical disturbance of living

tissue due to external force. Skeletal trauma could

lead to the conclusion of relative period of trauma

during the death event and mechanism or the type of

force causing the trauma. The period of trauma

could be categorized as follows: antemortem

(occurred before the death) or perimortem

(happened around the time of the death).

Postmortem transformation could not be considered

884

Dimpudus, R., Prastyo, E. and Artaria, M.

Individualization through Observation of the Characteristic of Alveolar Bone of Edentulous Skulls.

DOI: 10.5220/0007553408840887

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference Postgraduate School (ICPS 2018), pages 884-887

ISBN: 978-989-758-348-3

as trauma because based on the definition, it did not

disturb the living tissue. Trauma mechanism could

be categorized as a force from both blunt and sharp

object, whether with thermal or high force, or could

be the combination of all categories (Christensen et

al., 2014).

Tooth loss is generally occurred as a result of

dental caries and periodontal disease which were

influenced by several factors. The percentage of

tooth loss due to caries and periodontal disease

depend on individual’s age. In old age tooth loss was

mainly caused by periodontal disease. In young age,

it was caused by dental caries. Tooth loss was also

influenced by smoking habit which affects

periodontitis and dental caries (Anshary et al.,

2014).

Neglecting the situation will cause a pathological

migration of the remaining teeth and alveloar bone

recession in the edentulous area (Wardhana et al.,

2015).

In terms of alveolar bone, bone remodeling is

simultaneously controlled by osteoclasts and

osteoblasts. Osteoclasts conduct bone resorption

while bone formation is induced by osteoblasts (Kim

et al., 2017).

Based on this, the authors are curious in

conducting research on “Individualization through

Observation of the Characteristic of Alveolar Bone

of Edentulous Skulls”.

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

Authors had observed Mandibula bones, collection

of Department of Anatomy and Histology, Faculty

of Medicine, Universitas Airlangga. The number of

individuals observed were10.

Figure 1: Fragment of the skull bone.

Figure 2: Fragment of the skull bone (from below)

Figure 3: Fragment of Mandibula bone (from above).

Figure 4: Edentulous Mandibula with alveolar

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 1: Edentulous alveolar bones were observed with

the type of period.

Sample

Type

Antemortem

Postmortem

Individualization through Observation of the Characteristic of Alveolar Bone of Edentulous Skulls

885

Edentulous in individuals observed in this

research occurred in antemortem. According to the

literature study, the situation appears on socket that

has been covered (remodeling process on alveolar

bone had occurred). Tooth loss could happen

because of periodontal disease, trauma, and caries.

This situation could provide a hint for identification

by matching antemortem data that suitable with

characteristic of edentulous mandibular bones,

where the teeth of the individual had been lost

during his/her lifetime. However, edentulous could

also appear on postmortem because the socket was

still uncovered. Several factors that could be

consideration are tooth loss before the death or

missing teeth when skeletal discovered.

In such cases to fix the identity of the unknown

human skeletal remains, ante-mortem medical

records are to be compared in the usual practice of

forensic investigations (Lodha et al., 2016).

Another antemortem transformation occurred

where bone remodeling emerges as recovery form

surgical procedure such as trephination and

remodeling the space in alveolar when tooth loss or

during the extraction process. Resorption usually

takes several months after the tooth loss. When loss

occurred on entire tooth with complete resorption

form alveolar space, individual was considered

experienced edentulous (Christensen et al., 2014).

Radiographic comparisons fall into two broad

categories; dental and medical. Having annual dental

examinations becoming the standard of care, the

likelihood of an individual having antemortem

dental radiographs is quite high. Additionally, the

mineral composition of teeth makes them extremely

resilient to postmortem damage, decomposition,

temperature extremes, and fire destruction. Thus,

both antemortem and post-mortem dental

information are likely to be available for comparison

(Hurst et al., 2013).

Gadro (1999) reported the essential tooth

antemortem data as comparison with postmortem

situation of a dead body such as dental x-rays, tooth

mold, and dental record (Indriati, 2010).

Postmortem damage could be identified because

the light appears from the object, thus it differs from

the living bone (Burns, 2013).

In postmortem damage, outer surface of the bone

has been covered with liquid decay, dirt, and

different color from its inner surface. It is important

to distinguish between perimortem and postmortem

because perimortem involves greater amount of

forensic involvement. Perimortem trauma could

result from a murder act, while postmortem damage

could be caused by animal excavation or reckless

excavator (Burns, 2013).

Antemortem trauma is a transformation

happened before an individual's death. The main

proof of an antemortem trauma is an ostogenic

reaction (the creation of new bones) because the

reaction happened naturally when the individual

live. Osteogenic reaction mainly takes form in

recovery process of response to infection. Fracture

recovery could be demonstrated by the tip of a round

fracture or callus formation, whereas infection

response could be proven by proliferative or lytic

lesions. The presence of antemortem trauma in an

unidentified framework serves as information that

can be useful in the identification process

(Christensen et al., 2014).

Generally, tooth condition provides only limited

information about antemortem of people who have

died. Although dental development can be affected

by systemic pathological conditions (Sucking et al.,

1987), manifestation in the teeth is usually limited to

make a statement that a person experiences an acute

stress event during growth. On contrary, mouth

disease such as dental damage, alveloar bone

recession, traumatic alteration, usually did not

display a helpful circumstances in developing

biological profile of a dead individual (Byres, 2010).

Postmortem damage refers to bone taphonomy

alteration occurred after the dead and is not related

to the death event. In several cases, postmortem

damage is likely related to the death events such as

mutilation or situation demonstrated by murderer

after a murder. Postmortem damage could be

differentiated from perimortem trauma according to

its color. The edge of perimortem fracture was

colored by bleeding, decomposition liquid, soil, or

other substance. The damaged edge of the bone tip

because of postmortem will appear lighter than the

surrounding area for being exposed much longer to

the environment (Christensen et al., 2014).

A wide range of variables has been recognized as

influence to the rate the rate of bone healing. These

can be classified into intrinsic, extrinsic, and

biomechanical factors and include age, fracture type,

location, severity, treatment, as well as other factors

(Boyd & Donna, 2018).

Bone remodeling (time period: years) is once the

broken bone which is stabilized by the bony callus,

osteoclasts and osteoblast take over the long-term

maintenance of the rebuilt Haversian systems. The

bony callus becomes smoother and denser but

remains visible in spite of remodeling. (Bones of a

very young child will remodel completely) (Burns,

2013).

ICPS 2018 - 2nd International Conference Postgraduate School

886

Healing of the resulting extraction socket

appeared to progress in an ordered and sequential

manner. It could be a great value in forensic

investigations of unidentified human remains, as it

could provide some degree of accuracy to estimate

the period of time that has elapsed between the

antemortem extraction of a particular tooth and the

time of death of that person. If the identity can be

established for human remains that have a healing

tooth-extraction wound or have bone changes related

to the recent removal of teeth, and if the dental

history of the subject is known, then this information

could provide positive contributory evidence, or

indeed negative evidence, toward identification of

the time of death (Viciano et al., 2017).

4 CONCLUSIONS

It can be concluded that the edentulous condition has

certain characteristic according to the length of time

of the tooth loss compared with the data of the

individual during life. It can help to identify an

unknown individual based on the unique

characteristic it has on the alveolar bone of the

edentulous individual.

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