Forensic Dentistry, Second Edition

Bitemarks 345

(1) Very mild bruising, no individual t

ooth mar

ks present

, diff

use

arches visible, may b

e cause

d by something other than t

eeth – low

forensic sig

nificance.

(2) Obvious br

uising with individual, discrete area

s as

socia

ted with

teeth, skin remains intact

, moderate forensic significance.

(3) Very obvious bruising with small lacerations ass

ocia

ted with

teeth on the most severe asp

ects of the injur

y, likely to b

e assesse

d

as definite bitemark, high significance.(4) Numerous area

s of laceration, with some bruising

, some area

s of

the wound may b

e incis

ed. Unlikely to be conf

used wit

h any other

injury mechanism and a high forensic si

gnificance.

Increasing Severity

HighForensic

Significance

(5) Partial a

vulsion of tissue, some lacerations present indicating

teeth as the probable cause of the injur

y. Moderate forensi

c

sign

ificance.

(6) Complete a

vulsion of tissue, possibly some scalloping of the

injury mar

gins suggeste

d that te

eth may have b

een resp

onsible for

the inju

ry. May not be an obvious bite injury – low forensic

significance.

Chart 14.2

pretty Bitemark s

everity and s

ignificance s

cale.