Human identification by pattern of Hunter-Schreger bands of enamel human dentary in lower incisor teeth: optimization of the acquisition of images of dental enamel microstructure in intact teeth

• Grant number: 22/10293-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: December 01, 2022
• End date: November 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Social and Preventive Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Sergio Roberto Peres Line
• Grantee: Sergio Roberto Peres Line
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Piracicaba (FOP). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Human dental enamel is the most mineralized tissue in the body, being formed by alternating layers of prisms called Hunter-Schreger Bands (HSB). The HSB appear as light and dark bands when viewed with side lighting, resembling to fingerprints. We demonstrated earlier that the HSB pattern is highly variable, and unique for each tooth. Thus, the biometric pattern of HSB can be a useful method for the personal identification, as the enamel can with stand weather and environmental conditions extreme. Although promising, the popularization of this method is hampered by limitations techniques in image acquisition. One of the main problems lies in the fact that the standard of the bands may under go small variations with changes in the direction of incident light of this. In this way, the present project aims to understand and estimate the variations in the pattern of the images of the HSB caused by variations in incident light direction, test the visualization of the HSB usinglight source with different wavelengths, heating biosafety testing by LED light of the illuminated object, software enhancement for image analysis and comparison in databases. (AU)