Volume 4 Issue 4 (July - August), 2018

Original Articles

Stereomicroscopic Analysis of Extracted Teeth Exposed to Higher Temperature for Forensic Odontological Research
Shobha BV, Srikant Bayal, Sourav Nag

Background: Dental restorations and endodontic material display a substantial degree of resistance to high temperatures. The location, shape and unique characteristics of each restoration can hence serve as an excellent tool for positive affirmative identification. Hence; we planned the present study to assess the effect of heat on the teeth and the different restorations and their resistance to this extreme state. Apart from gross examination of the teeth, a stereomicroscopic study will carried out to study the finer details post exposure to heat. Materials & methods: The present study was conducted in the department of Oral pathology of MGS Dental College, SriGanganagar. 72 extracted teeth were collected from the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. All the tooth specimens were randomly divided into four study groups, with 25 samples in each group, as follows: Group I: Unrestored teeth, Group II: Teeth restored with Glass Ionomer, Group III: Teeth restored with Composite, and Group IV: Root canal treated teeth. All the teeth samples were exposed to the elevated temperatures for a short, standardized period of time. Each tooth sample was examined macroscopically and then under a stereomicroscope at 15 × magnification. The effects of varying temperatures on the unrestored and restored teeth were observed mainly in the form of color changes, cracks, fragmentation, and marginal seal of restorative materials. At the specified temperatures, observations of all samples of each group were recorded and assessed. Results: At 200 degrees, cracks appeared only in group III specimens, whereas specimens of other groups remained unchanged. At 400 degrees, cracks appeared in all the study groups except for study group IV. At 400 and 800 degrees, specimens of study group IV remained unchanged. Conclusion: The heat-induced dehydration and loss of organic constituents led to a fragile nature of the teeth that required careful handling. Key words: Extracted teeth, Forensic odontology, Stereomicroscope. Received: 13 May 2018 Revised: 18 June 2018 Accepted: 28 June 2018 Corresponding Author: Dr. Sourav Nag, PG student, Department of Oral Pathology, Maharaja Ganga Singh Dental College & Research Centre, Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India This article may be cited as: Shobha BV, Bayal S, Nag S. Stereomicroscopic analysis of extracted teeth exposed to higher temperature for forensic odontological research. Int J Res Health Allied Sci 2018; 4(4):115-117.

 
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