Dental implants - crime identity

[YoungSheldon]

Bit of a random question I’ve been wondering about.

I was watching killer at the crime scene yesterday and the police used dental implants to identify the victim.

Does everyone have dental implants done? Are there rooms in dentists full of implants in case they are ever needed to identify people?

It was said as if they were certain dental implants would be able to used to match with the evidence they found. I have had dental implants done when I was getting braces done as a teenager, I don’t know if they are a standard done to everyone though?

I don't have dental implants. Neither does my husband, or my parents. I think one of my siblings may have one following the loss of a front tooth.

I think you are confusing dental implants with impressions.
Implants are a titanium prosthesis that is implanted into the jaw to act as an anchor for a crown,bride etc.
They are manufactured so will have a serial number so can be identified.

Do you mean an impression? I remember having those as a teenager but not recently. I get X rays done regularly at the dentist so imagine they could use those as they'll all be on record somewhere.

Do you mean implants or the thing where you bite and they make a mould? (imprints maybe?)

Implants are like false teeth that are screwed into the jaw aren't they? They've probably got a serial number on like a hip replacement or other surgical metal work does.

Impressions! Dat's da bunny!

I knew imprints wasn't right!

Ah yes sorry I mean impressions!

Like the plaster cast of teeth. They managed to get hold of one for their victim to identify him so got me wondering if everyone had them done at some point or they just got lucky with this case.

Well I’ve always been perplexed how people are always identified by dental records - same thing? My query is is there a central repository for all dental records. I can’t imagine so sure L you would
Have to have some knowledge of what dentist they might have gone to to check the records- but this NEVER comes up.

I’ve never seen something about identifying with an impression. I always thought they get chucked after being used

In other exciting news getting those impressions done is now a thing of the past! Last time I went to dentists there is a fancy machine that sort of maps your teeth into a computer!

@Movingonup22 that is the best news I've heard in ages!! Hate those horrible freezing cold moulds

@Movingonup22

Well I’ve always been perplexed how people are always identified by dental records - same thing? My query is is there a central repository for all dental records. I can’t imagine so sure L you would Have to have some knowledge of what dentist they might have gone to to check the records- but this NEVER comes up.

I’ve never seen something about identifying with an impression. I always thought they get chucked after being used

I work in Dentistry. A few years ago there was a woman murdered and the coroner attended the practice to collect her records for identification. It was confirmed as her.

When they use dental impressions to identify the victim, they already have a pretty good idea who they are (or at least a shortlist of people they could be). The impressions are used to confirm this. So say someone finds a victim and they suspect it’s Jane Smith who went missing 6 months before, they then get in touch with Jane Smith’s dentist to compare the images and impressions that might be on file with the corpse they have. They don’t have a central repository they plug images into, it’s the other way round.

My impressions from my partial dentures are upstairs in the cupboard of things we don't use much so it would be difficult getting them from the dentist. Dentist clearly didn't want to store loads of impressions but said they were best kept in case something happened to my dentures.

I assume they go round local dentists and get X-rays etc and use those to match.

X rays are digital these days- my dentist looks back at my previous ones- sure they could check those against a body as they’re unique.

I've had loads yes. And then every few years I am asked to go to a teaching hospital and students draw pictures of the inside of my mouth.

It must be super weird. ¯\(ツ)/¯

@Movingonup22

In other exciting news getting those impressions done is now a thing of the past! Last time I went to dentists there is a fancy machine that sort of maps your teeth into a computer!

That is good news! I hated getting those done.

Being digital seems an easier way to get the information.

They dint have a central database against which they can compare the teeth of the corpse.

It's when they have done idea who the corpse is, and they they then contact that person's dentist, and compare everything on their dental record with the teeth on the corpse - number of teeth, number, type, size and placement of fillings, crowns, any measurements, everything really.

It's still quicker than DNA, and teeth survive well even if the body has been exposed to the elements, underwater or to creatures,

I do some forensic dentistry. Mostly post mortem IDs of people found in house fires, people who are too decomposed to ask family to ID them, or murder victims whose families don't want to ID them. I guess you can AMA.