Assessment of dental injuries by forensic odontology experts from the Legal Medicine Institute, Brazil

Revista Cubana de Estomatología

Sampaio Queiroz, Christiano¹  Galo, Rodrigo² 

[1] Faculdade de Odontologia de Ribeirão Preto, Brasil;Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Brasil

关键词: forensic odontology;    tooth;    wounds and injuries;    expert testimony.;   

DOI  :  

学科分类：基础医学

来源: SciELO

【 摘 要 】

Introduction:Article 129 of the Brazilian Penal Code defines the crime of bodily harm asdamage to the physical integrity or the health of others. Penalties for thiscrime are graded in keeping with the consequences of the injury, determinedby forensic examination indicated by the corresponding authority. Dental injuriesare common in this type of examination, and analysis of results based on theBrazilian Penal Code is the object of frequent debate among forensic experts,with many divergences between the various examiners. Objective:Analyze the penal interpretation of injuries to upper front teeth provided byofficial forensic odontology experts from Nina Rodrigues Forensic Institute(Salvador, Bahia, Brazil). Methods:Analysis was conducted of 2 738 expert reports issued in the five-year periodextending from January 2007 to December 2011. The inclusion criterion was descriptionof injury to permanent upper front teeth, whereas the exclusion criterion waslack of certainty as to the consequences of the injury specified. Data weregathered by a single individual, who had access to the reports. The dental injuriesdescribed in the reports were classified and encoded to facilitate annotationand the performance of statistical studies based on chi-square estimation andthe kappa test (R software version 2.15.2, R Core Development Team, 2012) (p≥0.05). Results:Of the 2 738 reports, 277 met the inclusion criterion. Of the injuries describedtherein, 32.16 % were classified as simple dental crown fractures, 31.72 % ascomplex fractures, and 36.12 % as avulsions. Results show the close relationshipbetween forensic experts and criminal investigators in the analysis of dentalinjuries. Conclusions:Penal assessment of dental injuries was markedly subjective, requiring furtherstudy and discussion to minimize such subjectivity.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC-SA