Discordant Feature
Definition
A characteristic that differs between AM and PM findings. A discordance must either be explained (e.g., new dental work since the last record) or accepted as a genuine mismatch that triggers exclusion.
- Context
- Difference between ante-mortem and post-mortem findings
- Requires
- Explanation or acceptance as a mismatch
- Unexplained outcome
- Triggers exclusion
- Field
- Dental identification comparison
Common questions
What kind of explanation can resolve an apparent discordant feature?+
New dental work performed after the last ante-mortem record was taken, such as an extraction or restoration, can account for a difference that would otherwise look like a mismatch, provided that timeline can be verified.
How many discordant features does it take to exclude an identification?+
There is no fixed count; forensic odontologists weigh whether each discordance can be reasonably explained, and even a single unexplained, clear discordant feature is generally treated as sufficient to exclude a match.
Related terms
- Ante-Mortem (AM) Record
- Any dental documentation from the person's life: radiographs, clinical charts, study models, photographs, and prosthetic records. These form the known standard against...
- Concordant Feature
- A characteristic that matches between the AM and PM records. Concordances build the case for identification; the more unique and numerous they...
- Exclusion
- The categorical conclusion that one or more examined features are clearly inconsistent in a way that cannot be explained by projection angle,...
- Positive Identification
- The categorical conclusion in comparative radiography that all examined features are concordant, no feature is inconsistent, and the overall pattern of correspondence...
- Post-Mortem (PM) Examination
- The systematic dental examination conducted on remains after death, producing a chart, radiographs, and photographs that document the current state of the...