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Bitemark Evidence (Forensic Science)

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Other odontology texts devote a mere few pages or maybe a chapter on bitemark evidence. This book is solely devoted to bitemarks and contains everything that you wanted to know about the topic, including minutae that would make an odontologist's toes curl. The text begins with a rather detailed history of landmark cases that used bitemark evidence to identify perpetrators of a crime (see Ted Bundy). The rest of the book takes the reader through the sequential process of bitemark identification, from the anatomy and physiology of bitemarks to the technical aspects of gathering, studying, and interpreting data from a typical bitemark case. The book is laden with color and b/w photos. There is also a very detailed section on presentation of bitemark evidence in court, as well as the controversial topic of reliability of bitemark data as the sole means of positively identifying criminals in a court of law. Indeed, the book is concept-heavy and overly detailed for the conventional forensics enthusiast (they may, dare I write it, find it a boring read); but if you're in the profession of forensics, whether it is pathology, odontology, or anthropology, or are thinking about pursuing it down the road, this book would serve as a terrific resource in your forensics armamentarium.