Forensic dentist
Dental expertise in the service of law and justice
As a forensic dentist, Prof. Dr. Andreas Olze supports forensic medicine, the police and the judiciary - with precision, experience and the mental strength that this special task requires.
Find out more about working as a forensic dentist and the challenges involved.
Professor Olze, how did you become a forensic dentist?
That came about by chance. My former boss in the Department of Conservative Dentistry at the Charité, Professor Zuhrt, had been working on identification issues for the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the Charité since a plane crash in the 1970s. I first took over as a vacation replacement for my boss in the summer of 1995, which was a very turbulent summer. My first body was an unknown dead man who had been lying in his apartment for about 14 weeks in summer temperatures. Then there were also five Vietnamese who had been murdered in gang disputes. Later, from about 1997 onwards, the number of expert opinions commissioned in the context of age assessment procedures for living persons in criminal proceedings also rose sharply.
What are the challenges you face as a forensic dentist?
You have to have a certain amount of mental strength, be "body-solid" and be able to withstand and process visual and olfactory impressions. When estimating the age of living persons in civil and criminal proceedings, emotional stress must be endured and processed. In addition, above-average accuracy is required in all areas. When estimating the age and identifying unknown deceased persons, the slightest deviations in the findings lead to the - unjustified - exclusion of the identity; inaccurate measurement results lead to considerable misjudgements regarding the presumed age. This would also make positive identification more difficult. When estimating the age of persons in criminal proceedings, deviations in measured values quickly lead to the determination that the person is not of criminal age or that adult criminal law applies. This can quickly lead to longer prison sentences for those affected.
How does a typical case proceed? Are there any typical cases at all?
There is actually no such thing as a typical case. However, the identification of unknown corpses always involves the collection of post-mortem dental findings. For this purpose, if the corpse in question shows extensive post-mortem changes, the jaws usually have to be removed, i.e. separated. With regard to the scope of methods used to estimate the age of living persons, the judge responsible decides on the methods to be used, such as X-rays or MRI. In particular, the stage of development of the wisdom teeth allows conclusions to be drawn about the age reached.
Is there a particular case that sticks in your mind?
I particularly remember the case of Kristina Hani. She was only 14 years old. A drug dealer killed her, put her in a suitcase, poured petrol over her and then set her on fire.
How often are you requested by forensic medicine?
In the meantime, I have greatly reduced my involvement in forensic medicine and still work a few times a year on the identification of unknown deceased persons. Previously, I prepared around 100 to 120 expert reports a year on the age estimation of living persons.
Who do you work with for clarification?
First and foremost with the forensic pathologist performing the autopsy, but of course also with the police and the judicial authorities.
What does the term "dental fingerprinting" mean?
The dental fingerprint refers to the unique pattern of an individual's teeth. This pattern is as characteristic of each person as a fingerprint and - even with advanced decomposition - allows individuals to be clearly identified. A lot can be said about a person through their teeth: age, gender, habits. Even within certain limits, age can be determined from the teeth. Nutritional habits can also be read from the teeth. The type and extent of dental care can be used to draw conclusions about social status and sometimes even the region of origin. If you can read teeth, you can also read parts of a person's biography.
