title: Ameloglyphics: A possible forensic tool for person identification following high temperature and acid exposure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Forensic odontology is a branch that is evolving over time and has opened newer avenues that may help in the identification of individuals. Tooth prints are the enamel rod end patterns on tooth surface and they are considered as a hard tissue analog to fingerprints. Teeth have the highest resistance to most environmental effects like fire, desiccation, and decomposition, and may be used as a forensic evidence.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to evaluate if the tooth prints could be used for an individual's identification and reproducibility and permanency of these tooth prints after exposing the teeth to acid and various degrees of temperature.
  
  
  METHODS
  90 tooth prints from 20 freshly extracted maxillary premolar teeth were obtained. Cellophane tape technique was used to record enamel rod end patterns on tooth surface. Ten teeth (one from each patient) were immersed in 36.46% hydrochloric acid and the tooth prints were obtained at various intervals (5 min, 10 min, and 20 min). The other 10 teeth (one from each patient) were incinerated and impression was made at various intervals (80° C, 400° C, 600° C, and 750° C). Tooth prints obtained from different teeth (total of 90 tooth prints) were analyzed using Verifinger® standard SDK version 5.0 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the 20 original tooth prints were distinct from each other and no inter-individual or intra-individual similarity was found. The tooth prints from the same tooth after it was exposed to acid or heat were reproducible and showed high to very high similarity with the original tooth print of that particular tooth stored in the database.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tooth prints may be used as an effective aid in person identification even in adverse conditions such as burn and acid attack injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, School of Dental Sciences, Sharda University, Greater Noida, India.
authors.forename: Manjushree
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Juneja
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Pathology, I.T.S Dental College, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Juneja
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, MS Ramaiah Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Nagaraju
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rakesh
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, MS Ramaiah Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Yashoda Devi
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Bhoomareddy Kantharaj
keywords: Ameloglyphics; enamel rod end patterns; forensic odontology; tooth print