In forensic dentistry, what is the role of antemortem radiographs?

• A. They determine the cause of death
• B. They are used to assess general dental health only
• C. They establish age solely from tooth color
• D. They provide reference images for matching postmortem findings

Answer: (D)

Antemortem radiographs serve as a living person’s dental record that acts as a baseline for comparison in forensic identification. By having a pre-death image set, investigators can match postmortem dental findings to known features—such as tooth position, restorations (crowns, fillings, implants), root morphology, and unique wear patterns—to confirm a person’s identity with greater confidence. They’re not used to determine cause of death, nor merely to assess general dental health, and age estimation from tooth color isn’t reliable. The key role is providing reference images to align postmortem findings with the living dentition.