General Awareness: Forensic Dentistry Quiz

1. Forensic dentistry involves the study of teeth with the intention of providing facts to be used as evidence in court. What is another name for this field of study?

a) forensic anthropology
b) forensic odontology
c) forensic palynology
d) forensic entomology

The correct answer is b) forensic odontology

2. How many teeth does a human adult normally have?

a) 20
b) 28
c) 24
d) 32

The correct answer is d) 32

3. When skeletons are found, the teeth are an important source of information. In such cases, which of the following statements is the most accurate?

a) Teeth can indicate a person's occupation.
b) Teeth can indicate a person's age.
c) All three statements are true.
d) Teeth can indicate a person's ethnic background.

The correct answer is c) All three statements are true.

4. Teeth are harder than bone and are the last part of the body to be broken down or destroyed. Which component of the teeth is the hardest substance in the human body?

a) dentine
b) enamel
c) cementum
d) plaque

The correct answer is b) enamel

5. I am credited with making the earliest recorded case of dental identification. I lived in Ancient Rome around 15-59 AD. I was married to the Emperor Claudius. I ordered my soldiers to kill his mistress and bring me her head as proof of death. Who am I?

a) Messalina (third wife)
b) Aelia (second wife)
c) Agrippina (fourth wife)
d) Urgulanilla (first wife)

The correct answer is c) Agrippina (fourth wife)

6. I ascended the British throne in 1066 and was the first of the Norman kings. According to legend, the first use of bite-mark identification can be attributed to me. Who am I?

a) Henry I
b) King Norman
c) Richard I
d) William the Conqueror

The correct answer is d) William the Conqueror

7. Although I am more well-known as a silversmith who indulged in nocturnal horse-riding, I was also a practising dentist. I performed the first documented case of forensic dental identification in America. Who am I?

a) Benjamin Franklin
b) Paul Revere--
c) Abraham Lincoln
d) George Washington

The correct answer is b) Paul Revere

8. I was one of America's most infamous serial killers. At birth, my last name was Cowell, but from the age of 5, I was known by my stepfather's surname. Leaving bite-marks on the buttocks of one of my victims led to my conviction for murder. Who am I?

a) Albert De Salvo
b) John Wayne Gacy
c) Ted Bundy
d) Jeffrey Dahmer

The correct answer is c) Ted Bundy

9. One of Australia's most famous trials was the prosecution of Lindy Chamberlain for the murder of her daughter Azaria. The forensic evidence centred on blood and teeth-marks on the baby's clothing. The defence alleged the teeth-marks were made by what type of animal?

a) Tasmanian devil
b) kangaroo
c) wolf
d) dingo

The correct answer is d) dingo

10. Forensic dentistry is not used solely to catch criminals. It is a useful tool for investigating historic events. For example, scientists have been using forensic dentistry to solve which of the following questions?

a) Was Queen Elizabeth I of England really a male?
b) What killed George Washington?
c) Why was King George III insane?
d) Did the victims of the "Black Death" really die of plague?

The correct answer is d) Did the victims of the "Black Death" really die of plague?