title: Spectrophotometric analysis of color changes in teeth incinerated at increasing temperatures.
abstract: Color changes produced by histological alterations in burned teeth can provide conclusive forensic information on the temperature of exposure. The objective was to correlate heat-induced color changes in incinerated teeth with increases in temperature (to 1200°C). Spectrophotometry was used to measure lightness, chromaticity (a* and b*), whiteness, and yellowness in 80 teeth heated at temperatures of 100, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, or 1200°C for 60 min. Chromaticity a* was reduced at 100°C and lightness at 200 and 400°C, while chromaticity b* and yellowness were reduced at 400 and 600°C. Higher temperatures (800, 1000, and 1200°C) produced progressive increases in lightness and whiteness but reductions in chromaticity b* and yellowness. The accuracy of color values to determine the temperature of exposure was determined by Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis. High accuracy was shown by lightness, chromaticity b* and yellowness values for temperatures between 800° and 1200°C, by whiteness for temperatures of 1000° and 1200°C, and by lightness for temperatures of 200° and 400°C, with sensitivity and specificity values ranging from 90% to 100%. According to these results, colorimetric analysis of incinerated teeth can be used to estimate the temperature of exposure with high accuracy, with lightness being the most useful variable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rubio
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sioli
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Research, University of Malaga, 29010, Malaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Suarez
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Malaga, 29071 Malaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria Jesus
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gaitan
authors.affiliation: Department of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Dentistry, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain. Electronic address: stella@ugr.es.
authors.forename: Stella
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martin-de-las-Heras
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003116:Color; D003124:Colorimetry; D005260:Female; D005390:Fires; D005553:Forensic Dentistry; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D014070:Tooth / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Color changes; Color measurement; High temperature; Spectrophotometer; Teeth