Exploring Environmental Effects on Dental Changes: Insights from a Scoping Review and Preliminary Experimental Study

Abstract

Teeth are highly durable and useful in forensic identification and studying the impact of environmental factors could aid forensic investigations. Accurate post-mortem interval (PMI) estimation using dental evidence is critical in legal contexts, it requires further exploration. Aims: This study included a scoping review investigating macroscopic and microscopic changes in teeth in various simulated environments (Part 1) and an experimental study assessing changes in teeth and restorations exposed to distilled water, saline water, acidic soil, and alkaline soil (Part 2). Methods: The scoping review analysed publications from five databases using keywords such as ‘Teeth’, ‘Dental’, ‘Water’, ‘Soil’, ‘Acid’, and ‘Forensic.’ The experimental study involved 40 human teeth photographed before and after a 90-day exposure period to record shade variations and macroscopic changes. Results: Part 1: Twenty-six relevant articles from 10 countries (1987–2022) were reviewed, with most focusing on human teeth (77%), unrestored teeth (54%), macroscopic changes (46%), and high-temperature environments (53%). Part 2: Teeth in distilled water (G1) showed no shade variation. In saline water (G2), 60% of teeth decreased in shade. In acidic soil (G3), 40% showed an increased shade, while 50% showed a decreased shade. In alkaline soil (G4), 70% of teeth showed an increased shade. Restorations exhibited minimal changes across environments. Conclusions: Studies on the macroscopic changes because of high temperature on teeth and dental restorative material are popular. Teeth exposed to alkaline and acidic soil showed the most changes in the structure.