Radiographic recognition of dental implants as a tool for identification

Dental implants for prosthetic rehabilitation with fixed crown or mobile partial/total dentures is a very common oral treatment among the population in Italy as elsewhere. There is a great number of implant systems of different designs. However, a catalogue of radiographic images and a description of the dental implants available in Italy would be useful in order to identify the manufacturer and the type of implant encountered in forensic casework. Where no dental record is available but an unidentified body is found with one or more implants in the jaws, some clues to identification gleaned from the type of implanrs used could give direction to the investigation. In this study some Italian implant manufactures were contacted and asked to provide specimen implants. Digital radiographs were taken of all the implants donated at 0 degrees, 30 degrees, and 60 degrees, combined with -20 degrees, -10 degrees, 0 degrees, +10 degrees, and +20 degrees vertical inclination relative to the radiographic beam and the X-ray sensor. A total of 15 images per implant were taken and examined to identify consistent, unique features that would aid in implant recognition. Only those observations made from radiographs between -10 degrees and +10 degrees vertical inclination would ever be used for definite identification of any implant. The information from this study should be considered a preliminary survey of the commercial distribution of dental implants in Italy through their radiographic images. It is also a starting point for a wider geographical evaluation of different manufacturers in other countries and continents. The radiographic images provided should help both the forensic odontologist and the prosthodontist to identify pre-existing implant which they may discover from their radiographic images.