• Micro-CT enables micrometer-accurate reassociation of dental fragments • Mean deviation ∼0.01 mm; RMS distances consistently below 0.06 mm • Strong inter- and intra-operator repeatability demonstrated • Micro-CT is a promising non-invasive tool for forensic reconstruction • Further validation needed on thermally or chemically altered teeth Teeth are among the primary identifiers recommended by Interpol for victim identification. However, they may become fragmented under thermal or physical trauma, making conventional comparison methods difficult or impossible. Micro–computed tomography (micro-CT) offers high-resolution, non-destructive imaging that could enhance digital reconstruction of dental fragments for forensic purposes. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and accuracy of digitally reassociating dental fragments acquired through micro-CT, under controlled experimental conditions. Thirty-two anterior teeth and premolars all free of severe alterations (such as cavitated caries, heavy calculus deposits, and large or metallic restorations) – extracted for therapeutic reasons were scanned intact using a micro-CT device, then mechanically fragmented, rescanned, and digitally reassociated using an iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm. Mean and root-mean-square (RMS) distances between reconstructed and reference meshes were calculated. Intra- and inter-operator agreement were evaluated using Bland–Altman analyses to assess repeatability and reproducibility. The average deviation between reconstructed and reference meshes was 0.012 mm for operator A and 0.017 mm for operator B. RMS distances averaged 0.048 mm and 0.060 mm, respectively. Agreement analyses showed minimal bias (<0.01 mm) within the 95% limits of agreement, confirming high reproducibility. Micro-CT–based digitization provides highly accurate 3D data suitable for digital reassociation of dental fragments. While this feasibility study demonstrates promising accuracy under controlled conditions, further validation on thermally or chemically altered teeth is warranted before forensic case application.
Amaury et al. (Sun,) studied this question.