The effect of burning on dental tissue: A macroscopic and microscopic investigation.

Autor: Peer M; The Department of Oral Biology, the Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; The Shmunis Family Anthropology Institute, Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel. Electronic address: michalrpeer@gmail.com., Sarig R; The Department of Oral Biology, the Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; The Shmunis Family Anthropology Institute, Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel. Electronic address: sarigrac@tauex.tau.ac.il.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Forensic science international [Forensic Sci Int] 2024 May; Vol. 358, pp. 111987. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Mar 14.
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2024.111987
Abstrakt: Teeth are considered unique as fingerprints for identification purposes. Their structure and resilience mean they can remain for thousands and millions of years withstanding extreme conditions, including burning. During burning, bones undergo carbonization at approximately 400°C and calcination at approximately 700°C. This study aimed to investigate the effects of carbonization and calcination on dental tissue. It involved nondestructive analyses of 58 extracted human teeth before and after burning, using x-ray diffraction, micro-CT, and high-resolution confocal microscopy. The results revealed that during carbonization, dentin volume decreased in two thirds of the sample, accompanied by crack formation and significant reduction in hydroxyapatite crystal size (p<0.001). During calcination, dentin volume decreased in all teeth, along with a significant deepening of the cracks (p<0.001), while enamel crystal size increased slightly. Initial changes in teeth occurred at lower temperatures than had once been assumed, as indicated by the cracks during carbonization, and there was up to a 36% decrease in dentin volume during calcination, which should be considered when measuring burnt teeth. The results of this research provide new insight into understanding dental tissue response to burning. Thus, dental remains may contribute to the knowledge needed to reconstruct anthropological and forensic scenarios involving burning.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None
(Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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