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What other things can you tell about someone from their teeth?  Here is a basic on-line guide to some dental postmortem profiling factors which you may want to note.  Read our on-line guide to dental identifications to find out about dental postmortem profiling. Here are some examples of some of the features which can help narrow the search for antemortem records when no putative identification exists.  While each, on their own, cannot identify an individual, they can all help to produce a more accurate profile of the deceased.  Check back often for further updates to this list.  If you have any suggestions for other features we should add here - please email us - include an image example if you can - and we'll include it! 

This is an example of dental erosion.  Notice on the palatal surfaces of the teeth (i.e. facing inside the mouth) that enamel has been lost.  This can be caused by a number of different conditions, such as anorexia, chronic alcoholism and gastric problems.  Each causes repeated vomiting, which causes acid erosion of the teeth.

This individual has very pronounced staining visible on their lower teeth.  It was also present on their upper teeth, but this has been covered by some (very poor) porcelain crowns or caps.  This staining has been caused by the anti-biotic tetracycline which was taken when the teeth were developing.

This slide shows the tooth wear associated with pipe-smoking.  Individuals found with wear of this sort are likely to have smoked a pipe and this information could be useful to the police in narrowing the search for antemortem records.

In this image we can see a wear facet on the upper and lower teeth.  This individual is an electrician who wore his teeth by using them to strip electrical wire.  This is a common finding in such professions, and a similar wear pattern can often by seen in seamstresses who hold pins between their teeth.

The quality and/or type of dentistry can often tell us where an individual received that treatment.  This can prove valuable information in the search for antemortem records.  This work was performed in Russia and is a classic example of the type of dentistry performed in the former Soviet Union.  Note that the porcelain has been lost from 3 units on this individual.

The staining on this individual's lower teeth have been caused by cigarette smoking.  This finding can be useful to help include or exclude individual when determining an identity.  The yellow material adhered to the teeth is dental calculus - this shows that this individual does not practice good oral hygiene or visit their dentist often.