Crown
Definition
The visible portion of a tooth above the gum line, covered by enamel. In forensic charting, crown morphology, restorations, and wear patterns are the primary recording surface.
- Location
- Visible portion of a tooth above the gum line
- Covering
- Enamel
- Forensic use
- Primary surface for dental charting
- Recorded features
- Morphology, restorations, wear patterns
Common questions
Why is the crown the primary recording surface rather than the root?+
The crown is what is visible clinically and in photographs, and it carries the restorations, wear, and shape variation that make a dentition distinctive, whereas the root is normally hidden in the jawbone and only imaged radiographically.
What makes crown features useful for identification specifically?+
Fillings, crowns as restorations, chips, and wear patterns accumulate individually over a person's life and are recorded in dental charts, so comparing the pattern on a set of remains against known ante-mortem records can support identification even when other remains are degraded.
Related terms
- Cementum
- A thin, bone-like mineralised tissue that covers the external surface of the tooth root. Deposited incrementally throughout life in alternating translucent and...
- Deciduous Dentition
- The first set of 20 teeth, also called primary or milk teeth, that erupt from approximately six months and are progressively replaced...
- Dentine
- The mineralised tissue forming the bulk of the tooth, surrounding the pulp chamber and root canal. Contains a network of dentinal tubules,...
- Enamel
- The outermost layer of the tooth crown, formed by ameloblasts before tooth eruption. Composed of approximately 96% hydroxyapatite mineral by weight. Acellular...
- Occlusion
- The way upper and lower teeth meet when the jaw closes. Occlusal wear patterns, class I/II/III relationships, and individual facets on specific...