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Inner-canthal distance in bite mark analysis

Umme Amarah and Imran Pasha M

A bite mark has been described as a pattern created by dentitions of humans or animals and associated structures in any substance capable of being marked by these means [1]. Bites can occur on both the victim and suspect, the teeth are used as weapon by the aggressor and in self-defense by the victim [2]. It is estimated that the contemporary history of bite marks began with Sorup. In 1924, Sorup used transparent paper on which biting edges of a suspect's dentition were made to equate images of a bite mark with life-size [3]. Bite mark recognition is based on a dentition 's identity and is used to assign a bite mark to a suspect. One can exactly match the bite marks to the accused biter’s dentition [4]. The inner canthal distance (Fig.1) is defined as the distance between the medial angles of the palpebral fissures [5]. In 2002 Abdullah suggested a method for measuring the width of the central incisor from the inner canthal point. The ICD was found to be greater than the combined width of maxillary central incisors. Thus the ICD was multiplied by 0.618. the resultant product was then divided by 2 to obtain the width of a single central incisor. FCIW = ICD/2 x 0.618[6]. In a study conducted in south India, as in the European population, the ICD and the golden proportion are reliable predictors for determining the width of the central maxillary incisors also present in the South Indian population. Bite marks most often appear as elliptical or round areas of contusion or abrasion, occasionally with associated indentations. [7] The verification of a set of bite marks with that of an individual’s dentition involves the analysis and measurement of size, shape and position of the individual teeth. The forensic aspect of this analysis comes into play when it is applied to identify teeth marks left on food or in criminal cases when the victim bites the assailant in self-defense or when such marks are seen on the victim as left by the assailant in cases like sexual assault [8].