Forensic dentistry case book 3: Supplemental chrome cobalt partial denture used in identification of burned remains

Abstract

An adult female was involved in a motor vehicle accident on one of the major highways of Cape Town in the early hours of the morning. The car caught fire and the body was burned beyond recognition. The charred remains were taken to the Salt River Medico-legal Laboratory, where an autopsy was undertaken to establish the cause of death. The hands were severely burned so that finger prints were impossible to use for identification. An oral autopsy had to be performed in order to gain access to the teeth. The maxilla was found to be fractured from the skull base and the mandible had a fracture in the midline between the lower left and right central incisor teeth (31 and 41). Upper and lower chrome cobalt partial dentures were found in situ.