A review o fthe significance of oral histology in forensic human identification

Forensic histopathology is the application of histological techniques to identify the deceased and injuries, specifically in medico-legal cases. The histological aspect of dental tissues is also helpful in forensic human identification. As the tooth can withstand a certain degree of temperature and other environmental factors, oral histology is helpful in various conditions like physical, biological, and chemical injuries, fire, putrefied remains, and archaeological samples. It is also possible for forensic odontologists to know the cause of death, manner of death, and time since death from oral histology, which aids in forensic investigation. In Forensic Dentistry in place of Forensic Science researchers primarily focus on studying oral histological structures, including enamel rod patterns (ameloglyphics), amelogenin (AMEL), perikymata, the incremental line of Retzius, the neonatal line, reparative dentin, sclerotic/transparent dentin, cementum annulation, alveolar bone, ameloblasts, odontoblasts, and blood cells. This article aims to provide a valuable, informative, and critical summary of the importance of oral histology in human identification and biological profiling in forensics.

Keywords: Medico-Legal cases; forensic odontology; dental tissues; biological profiling; species identification