Ameloglyphics : An Adjuvant in Individual Identification

In today’s world, with increasing homicides and mass disasters, advanced identification methods are the need of the hour. Human identification is easily possible with skeletal remains, especially teeth, when soft tissue analysis is not reliable. The human tooth is considered as the most reliable evidence in a decomposed body.

Enamel formation is a dynamic process. Enamel rods/prisms are deposited in an undulating, intertwining path. These rods reflect as rod ends on the outer surface of enamel and hence form a specific pattern. These patterns are referred to as rod end patterns or “Tooth Prints” and the study of enamel rod end patterns as “Ameloglyphics “. These patterns are unique to an individual tooth of same individual and different individuals and an analogy to fingerprint.

To study and analyze the tooth print patterns of different individuals and to determine if there is any difference in the rod end patterns in males and females.

30 maxillary 1^st premolars extracted for the purpose of orthodontic treatment were used for the study. A representative area on the labial aspect was etched using 37% orthophosphoric acid etchant for 1min. A transparent cellophane tape was applied to the etched site for 20 mins, gently removed and placed on a glass slide. The glass slide was then observed under microscope and photographed. The images obtained were compared in Verifinger Standard SDK version 6.5 software.

Most predominant pattern observed among the study population was observed to be loop pattern. Among the other patterns observed were wavy branched and whorl open. 43 % of the population depicted a mixture of two viz: loop and wavy branched/ whorl open. The tooth prints of males showed a tendency towards loop pattern. The verification with software revealed that no two patterns were identical.

Tooth being the hardest substance in the body, will be preserved during mass disasters. Enamel rod end patterns are unique for each tooth in an individual and may be used as an adjunct with other methods for personal identification. This technique is simple, inexpensive and rapid and can be considered as adjunct ante-mortem dental records in the identification of mass disasters victims.