Teeth can provide clues about the deceased, including which aspects?

• A. Diet, age, dental history, and identity
• B. Hair color
• C. Blood type
• D. Eye color

Answer: (A)

Teeth are highly durable and carry a mix of information that helps forensic examiners learn about a person’s life and identity. One strong aspect is diet: the minerals and isotopes locked into enamel and dentin reflect what a person ate over time, and wear patterns on the teeth can hint at chewing habits and general diet.

Age estimation from teeth is another key clue. In children and adolescents, which teeth have erupted and how they’re developing provides reliable age ranges. In adults, clues such as the degree of wear, cementum growth layers, and other age-related changes can give approximate ages, though these are less precise than in younger individuals.

Dental history is also captured in the teeth themselves. Records of past treatments—fillings, crowns, implants, missing teeth, orthodontic work—along with the pattern of caries or restorations, can be matched to antemortem dental records, supporting identification.

Identity often rests on comparing postmortem dental findings with antemortem records, radiographs, and unique dental features. Teeth are unique and tend to preserve well after death, making them especially useful for confirming who a body is when other identifying information is limited.

Choices about hair color, blood type, or eye color aren’t reliably determined from teeth, so they don’t fit as means to learn about the deceased from dental evidence.