The Importance of Metallic Residues on Teeth to Determine the Entrance Hole of Shotgun Wounds

Objectives: Determination of the entrance and exit sites in wounds caused by firearms can sometimes be the most important evidence to help procurement of justice. This study was carried out to see if metallic residues from the bullet core can be found on teeth and if the entrance and exit sites can be determined by examining their localization in firearm bullet core injuries with tooth involvement.Study Design: 30 teeth, which were pulled with orders 1, 2 and 3 for orthodontic and prosthetic reasons, were used. A specially designed constant shot contrivance was used for firearm shots. The shots were performed with standard shotgun and full metal jacket cartridges. Shots were made from 40 cm distance and with front to back direction. The teeth were examined with stereomicroscope. Results: Metallic residue traces were found in 47.8% on the front of fractured teeth by microscopic examination. The amount of metallic residues was low in five (21.7%) teeth, moderate in three (13%) and excessive in three teeth (13%).Conclusion: If there is indecision about the shooting direction in cases with teeth involvement, microscopic evaluation should necessarily be made. Thereby, it will be possible to determine the entrance and exit sites by evaluating the localization of metallic residues or particles.