ABFO No.2 Scale
Definition
L-shaped photographic reference scale issued by the American Board of Forensic Odontology, placed beside bite-marks before forensic photography to permit 1:1 overlay comparison.
- Shape
- L-shaped with right-angle design and circular targets
- Graduations
- Both metric and imperial measurements
- Issuing body
- American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO)
- Primary use
- Bite mark and close-up evidence photography
Common questions
What is the ABFO No.2 scale used for?+
The ABFO No.2 scale is a reference tool placed in forensic photographs to enable accurate size measurement and distortion correction of evidence. It's especially critical in bite mark photography, where it ensures that post-photograph comparisons can be made at 1:1 scale for court use.
How do you position the ABFO No.2 scale in a photograph?+
The scale is positioned at 90 degrees to the camera axis, on the same plane as the evidence being photographed. This placement allows the scale to serve as a reference for correcting lens distortion and camera-angle deviation in the final image.
What features does the ABFO No.2 scale include?+
The scale contains metric and imperial graduations (measurement markings), an 18% grey patch for color/exposure reference, and a color chart. The L-shaped design with circular targets enables accurate correction of lens and angle distortions during post-capture analysis.
Related terms
- Cameriere Method (2007)
- Adult age estimation using the pulp-to-tooth area ratio measured on periapical radiographs of canines.
- Canine
- Single-cusped tooth for tearing and gripping. One per quadrant. Often the last anterior tooth to be lost in old age.
- Cheiloscopy
- Study of lip prints (Greek cheilos, lip; skopein, to examine). The furrow system on human lips was first described by anthropologist R....
- Deciduous Dentition
- The first set of 20 teeth, also called primary or milk teeth, that erupt from approximately six months and are progressively replaced...
- Demirjian Method (1973)
- Childhood age estimation using radiographic stage-scoring (A to H, eight stages) of the seven permanent left mandibular teeth.
- Dental Formula
- Per-quadrant notation of tooth types in the order Incisors.Canines.Premolars.Molars. Human deciduous 2.1.0.2, permanent 2.1.2.3.
- Gustafson Method (1950)
- Adult age estimation using six histological and morphological criteria (Attrition, Periodontosis, Secondary dentine, Cementum apposition, Root resorption, Transparency of root), each scored...
- Incisor
- Chisel-shaped anterior tooth for cutting. Two per quadrant (central and lateral) in both dentitions.
- Molar
- Multi-cusped posterior tooth for grinding. Two per quadrant deciduous, three per quadrant permanent (third molar is the wisdom tooth).
- Nolla Method (1960)
- Ten-stage radiographic scoring of tooth calcification used for paediatric age estimation.
- Permanent Dentition
- Second set of 32 teeth. First permanent molar erupts at 6 years, third molar (wisdom) at 17 to 25 years. Dental formula...
- Premolar (Bicuspid)
- Two-cusped tooth for grinding and tearing. Two per quadrant in permanent dentition only; absent in deciduous.
Explained in
- Human Dentition: Types of Teeth, Age Estimation and Bite MarksL-shaped photographic reference scale issued by the American Board of Forensic Odontology, placed beside bite-marks before forensic photography to permit 1:1 o...