ABSTRACT
Historically, one of the most efficient means of identification is through evaluation of the dentition, the jaws, or adjacent structures. In February 1896, the month after Röntgen’s announcement of his discovery, W.Koenig was taking intraoral films of the teeth (Figure 24.1), leading the way for the science of forensic odontology. 1 Several historical figures, including Lollia Paulina, John Tabot, Charles the Bold, General Joseph Warren, Dr. George Parkman, and Louis Napoleon IV were either identified or ruled out as the decedent based on visual examination of the dentition. Two infamous characters, Adolph Hitler (Figure 24.2) 2 and Lee Harvey Oswald, were identified through comparison of antemortem and postmortem dental records.
