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Quiz about Forensic Dentistry
Quiz about Forensic Dentistry

Forensic Dentistry Trivia Quiz


Criminals can lie through their teeth but their teeth rarely lie! How much do you know about teeth and forensic dentistry?

A multiple-choice quiz by MotherGoose. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
MotherGoose
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
175,903
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
8957
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: Guest 38 (9/10), Guest 93 (8/10), Guest 75 (7/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Forensic dentistry involves the study of teeth with the intention of providing facts to be used as evidence in court. What is another name for this field of study? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. How many teeth does a human adult normally have? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. When skeletons are found, the teeth are an important source of information. In such cases, which of the following statements is the most accurate? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Teeth are harder than bone and are the last part of the body to be broken down or destroyed. Which component of the teeth is the hardest substance in the human body? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. I am credited with making the earliest recorded case of dental identification. I lived in Ancient Rome around 15-59 AD. I was married to the Emperor Claudius. I ordered my soldiers to kill his mistress and bring me her head as proof of death. Who am I? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. I ascended the English throne in 1066 and was the first of the Norman kings. According to legend, the first use of bite-mark identification can be attributed to me. Who am I? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Although I am more well-known as a silversmith who indulged in nocturnal horse-riding, I was also a practising dentist. I performed the first documented case of forensic dental identification in America. Who am I? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. I was one of America's most infamous serial killers. At birth, my last name was Cowell, but from the age of 5, I was known by my stepfather's surname. Leaving bite-marks on the buttocks of one of my victims led to my conviction for murder. Who am I? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. One of Australia's most famous trials was the prosecution of Lindy Chamberlain for the murder of her daughter Azaria. The forensic evidence centred on blood and teeth-marks on the baby's clothing. The defence alleged the teeth-marks were made by what type of animal? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Forensic dentistry is not used solely to catch criminals. It is a useful tool for investigating historic events. For example, scientists have been using forensic dentistry to solve which of the following questions? Hint



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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Forensic dentistry involves the study of teeth with the intention of providing facts to be used as evidence in court. What is another name for this field of study?

Answer: forensic odontology

Odontology is the study of teeth. Forensic dentistry or odontology involves the identification of bodies by the teeth, jaws and bones of the skull and face, as well as the investigation of bite-marks and other trauma to the mouth and face.
2. How many teeth does a human adult normally have?

Answer: 32

Human beings usually have two sets of teeth during their lifetime. The first set are known as deciduous teeth (also known as baby, milk or primary teeth). There are 20 deciduous teeth which normally begin to appear about the age of 6 months to 6 years.

The second set are known as permanent or secondary teeth. There are 32 permanent teeth and they normally begin to appear between the ages of 6 to 18 years. They do not appear all at once but erupt in specific stages, so scientists can often make an accurate estimate of the age of a skeleton by the number and type of teeth present and the amount of wear and tear.
3. When skeletons are found, the teeth are an important source of information. In such cases, which of the following statements is the most accurate?

Answer: All three statements are true.

Sometimes teeth can indicate occupation; for example, people who sew, such as dressmakers and tailors, often have notches in their teeth from biting threads. Sometimes teeth can indicate ethnic background; for example, many Asian and Native American Indian groups have a characteristic called "(Asian) shovel teeth".

In this condition, the incisors have a scooped out back. People of Anglo-Saxon heritage tend to have incisors with a straight back. Age can be estimated by the number and type of teeth present as well as the amount of wear and tear.
4. Teeth are harder than bone and are the last part of the body to be broken down or destroyed. Which component of the teeth is the hardest substance in the human body?

Answer: enamel

Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, even harder than bone, so teeth are the last part of the body to decompose or be destroyed in an accident. If the body is incinerated, teeth can withstand extreme temperatures (up to 1600 degrees Celsius). Thus, dental records can still be used even when bodies are burned and blasted beyond recognition. About 80% of identifications of unknown victims can be made on dental evidence alone, although in reality identifications are made using all available evidence.
5. I am credited with making the earliest recorded case of dental identification. I lived in Ancient Rome around 15-59 AD. I was married to the Emperor Claudius. I ordered my soldiers to kill his mistress and bring me her head as proof of death. Who am I?

Answer: Agrippina (fourth wife)

Agrippina was both the niece and fourth wife of the Emperor Claudius. Her victim was Lollia Paulina, allegedly the mistress of Claudius. Agrippina did not recognise the head when it was first brought to her. However, when she opened the mouth, she recognised her victim by a distinctive discoloured tooth.
6. I ascended the English throne in 1066 and was the first of the Norman kings. According to legend, the first use of bite-mark identification can be attributed to me. Who am I?

Answer: William the Conqueror

According to legend, William the Conqueror (or William I) used to secure his mail with sealing wax imprinted with his bite-mark. His teeth were misaligned, creating a distinctive pattern which made it easy to determine the authenticity of his letters and documents.
7. Although I am more well-known as a silversmith who indulged in nocturnal horse-riding, I was also a practising dentist. I performed the first documented case of forensic dental identification in America. Who am I?

Answer: Paul Revere

Paul Revere made a silver and ivory dental bridge for Dr Joseph Warren, a general in Washington's Army during the American War of Independence. The general was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill and buried in an unmarked grave with several other soldiers.

A year after the battle, the bodies were recovered and Paul Revere identified Dr Warren's body on the basis of the bridgework he had done.
8. I was one of America's most infamous serial killers. At birth, my last name was Cowell, but from the age of 5, I was known by my stepfather's surname. Leaving bite-marks on the buttocks of one of my victims led to my conviction for murder. Who am I?

Answer: Ted Bundy

Ted Bundy was arrested in February 1978 and went on trial for the "sorority house murders" in June 1979. He declared his innocence and conducted his own defence. He was convicted largely on the evidence that his teeth matched bite marks found on one of his victims, Lisa Levy, and he was executed by electrocution in January 1989.

There were 23 known Bundy victims from all over the United States between 1974 and 1978, however, it is believed that Ted Bundy may have been responsible for as many as 35 to 40 murders.
9. One of Australia's most famous trials was the prosecution of Lindy Chamberlain for the murder of her daughter Azaria. The forensic evidence centred on blood and teeth-marks on the baby's clothing. The defence alleged the teeth-marks were made by what type of animal?

Answer: dingo

Forensic dentistry is also used to distinguish human teeth from animal teeth, or to distinguish whether marks were actually made by teeth or not. In the Chamberlain case, forensic experts argued over whether the marks on the dead child's clothing were made by dingo teeth or a pair of blood-stained nail scissors found in the family car.
10. Forensic dentistry is not used solely to catch criminals. It is a useful tool for investigating historic events. For example, scientists have been using forensic dentistry to solve which of the following questions?

Answer: Did the victims of the "Black Death" really die of plague?

Yersinia pestis is the bacterium which causes bubonic plague. In recent years, scientists have been trying to ascertain if the epidemics of "Black Death" during the Middle Ages were indeed bubonic plague or whether they were some other disease. To investigate this, bodies of alleged plague victims have been exhumed and the tooth pulp has been extracted from the teeth. Because teeth are so resistant to decomposition, the DNA can be remarkably well preserved, even after centuries.

In some cases, the tooth pulp has confirmed the presence of DNA from Yersinia pestis.

However, in many cases, it appears that plague was incorrectly blamed as the cause of death.
Source: Author MotherGoose

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