ABSTRACT
When human teeth contact objects or surfaces or, alternately, those objects or surfaces contact the teeth, a mark or marks may be left. Human teeth are capable of marking almost any material that is softer than the enamel that covers their crowns. Not all of these marks should be called bitemarks. Those marks that occur as a result of objects or surfaces striking the teeth are more accurately called teeth marks. Bitemarks are created by the dynamic actions of the mouth and jaw complex of a person or animal. In human interactions, biting is known to occur in situations ranging from play to lovemaking and, more malevolently, in violent interchanges, such as fights and frays, and criminal activities from assaults to homicides. Bitemarks and teeth marks can be dangerous to the health of their recipients. Closed-fist teeth mark injuries of the type seen in fistfights may result in serious infections, amputations, and even death [1]. In those instances that result in bitemarks, the biter may be a willing participant, an assailant, or a person assailed acting in self-defense. Bitemarks occur more frequently during these activities than most imagine.
