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Dental AutopsyAuthors: William E. Silver and Richard R. SouvironPublisher: CRC Press

Reviewed by: Michael Louria, DMD

I had the pleasure of reviewing Dental Autopsy by William E. Silver and Richard R. Souviron. If you’re a

big fan of the television shows CSI or NCIS, then you will love this book. Dr. Souviron is the chief of forensic odontology at the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner Department. He has worked on numerous mass disasters and training programs, offering his expertise in dental identification after the World Trade Center disaster, Hurricane Katrina and the Miami Valujet crash. Dr. Silver is the deputy chief forensic odontologist for the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner Depart-ment and one of the founding forensic odontologists of the odontology section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. He has been involved in several

high-profile bite mark cases and has ap-peared on Court TV, 60 Minutes, Forensic Files, Dateline, CNN and BBC.

This book has a casual and informal feel to it, reading more like a “how to” manual than a textbook. I found this refreshing; this approach gives you the feeling that both authors are standing over your shoulder, guiding you step-by-step. Let me be sure to mention that this book isn’t for the faint of heart. This comprehensive volume, organized for field and lab reference, is enhanced with more than 300 color photos – photos that can be quite graphic.

Dental Autopsy has been described as the most advanced and complete forensic dentistry resource of its kind. It is an essential resource for medical examiners, investigators, dental specialists, lawyers and expert witnesses. The book is broken down into 16 different chapters. I will attempt to highlight key topics of these chapters.

The basic principles of a medical autopsy are discussed. This section describes how a body is processed when it enters the morgue. Bodies are photographed (pre-washed and post-washed) and full body X-rays (including dental) are taken. Personal items are inventoried and distinguishing marks are noted: tattoos, scars, injury patterns, etc. If the identity cannot be easily determined, a forensic odontologist is called in.

The chapter on forensic odontology is written for non-dental professionals. There is a thorough review of dental anatomy, nomenclature, eruption pat-

terns and tooth numbering systems (FDI and Universal). Classification of dental remains makes things a little more interesting for us dental folks. Words like “fresh,” “decomposed/incinerated” and “skeletal” come to mind. If you’re not a fan of maggots, you may want to skip this entire section. The body goes through amazing changes when exposed to the elements and various critters.

The chapters on antemortem and post-mortem records are very detailed. This part of the book reads like an instruction manual and attention to detail is stressed. The dental community is in charge of antemortem records. At any time, our very own records may be used to identify a John or Jane Doe. It is paramount that we be as accurate and detailed as possible in our charting. We all know that the teeth (enamel) are the hardest substance in the body. Teeth can with-stand temperatures of more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This explains why the teeth remain long after all other body parts have decayed. If a fire is intense, the anterior teeth often are carbonized and useless for identification. However, posterior teeth, which are well protected by the buccal fat pad and the cheeks, are usually available in decent condition for examination. There are plenty of “crispy” photos to illustrate this point. The book makes an interesting observation about identifying bodies based on their pros-thetics – denture and removable partial dentures will have the patient’s name. Hip, shoulder and even breast implants will have serial numbers. Interestingly enough, dental implants do not.

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January/February 2011 Today's FDA 75www.floridadental.org

Another large portion of the book cov-ers odontoglypics, or bitemarks. State v. Doyle was the very first “reported” bitemark case in the United States. Mr. Doyle had the misfortune of being hungry while committing his crime. A block of cheese he bit into eventually put him away. The infamous Ted Bundy case also is discussed. A forensic dentist was able to show that casts of Bundy’s

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teeth matched with photographs of the bitemark from the body of one of his victims. This evidence was instrumental in his conviction; if Bundy hadn’t bitten his victim while assaulting her, he may not have been found guilty.

I found the book to be entertaining and educational. I appreciated the authors’ detail. The layout of the book is very orderly and systematic, but also infor-mal and casual. This makes the book

very easy to follow. This book would be entertaining for people who are attracted to shows like CSI or NCIS. I would rec-ommend this book to dentists who are entertained with the forensic topic.

Dr. Louria practices endodontics in Winter Springs. He can be contacted at 407.696.0053.