Full-Mouth Radiographic Series
Definition
A complete set of periapical and bitewing radiographs covering all teeth, typically 18 to 20 images. The most forensically useful AM record because it documents root morphology and bone patterns not visible clinically.
- Composition
- Periapical plus bitewing radiographs
- Typical image count
- 18 to 20 images
- Value
- Documents root morphology and bone patterns not visible clinically
Common questions
How does a bitewing radiograph add value beyond periapical films alone?+
Bitewings capture the crowns of upper and lower posterior teeth together in one image, showing interproximal contact points, restoration outlines, and early decay patterns that are useful comparison points independent of root anatomy.
Why is this considered more forensically useful than a clinical chart?+
A clinical chart records what a dentist observed and treated, but the radiograph itself preserves structures such as root canal fillings, bone trabecular patterns, and unerupted teeth that were never charted, giving the odontologist a direct anatomical comparison rather than a secondhand summary.
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