Bite mark recognition and interpretation.

Introduction Identification of suspects from bite marks has been undertaken in this country for nearly 70 years. Despite this, cases involving this type of identification are relatively rare and a statement made in 1966 by Gustafson, that few authorities have seen more than a handful of cases, remains true today. The available published case reports indicate that the techniques of investigation of bite marks are often highly individual to particular experts. This must be confusing, both to other forensic dental experts and to those involved with the Court presentation of dental evidence. As any field of study becomes established, it requires the development of specific nomenclature and systems of classification. Cameron and Sims (1974) presented a classification of bite marks, but this was concerned mainly with the agents, either human or animal, causing the bites and the materials bitten. No adequate classification of bites, considering the types of injuries produced and the mechanisms of their production, has been published. I t is the purpose of this paper to suggest such a classification and to describe a possible approach to the interpretation of alleged bite marks.