Knowledge and Awareness of Lip Prints in Personal Identification and Criminalization among Dental Undergraduates

Abstract

Establishing a person's individuality can be a very difficult procedure. Oral-dental aids, fingerprint, and DNA comparisons are considered as the most common techniques used in this perspective, and it usually permits fast and secure identification processes.(1) Though, they cannot always be used because of expense, availability, and other reasons, sometimes it is necessary to apply different and less known techniques. Investigators often gain information and evidence through the use of odontology, anthropometry, fingerprints, and other techniques that help determine, for example, gender, approximate age, and height. Today, however, investigators may also rely on lip prints to identify possible suspects or to support evidence gained in specific investigations. The wrinkles and grooves on the labial mucosa (called sulci labiorum) form a characteristic pattern called "lip prints," the study of which is referred to as cheiloscopy. Fischer was the first to describe it in 1902. Use of lip prints in personal identification and criminal investigation was first recommended in France by Locard. In 1950, Synder also suggested the idea of using lip prints for identification.(2) Lip prints are considered unique to an individual and analogous to fingerprints. It has been verified that lip prints recover after undergoing alterations such as minor trauma, inflammation, and herpes. However, major trauma to the lips may lead to scarring and pathosis, and surgical treatment rendered to correct the pathosis may affect the size and shape, thereby, altering the pattern and morphology of the grooves. A lip print found at the scene of a crime can be the basis for conclusions with regards to the character of the event, the number of people involved, sexes, cosmetics used, habits, occupational traits, and the pathological changes of the lips themselves. Lip prints, as one of the dermatoglyphics, have been used as genetic markers in many congenital and clinical diseases.