Teethbased

Teethbased is an adjective used to describe approaches, analyses, or devices that rely on dental characteristics as a primary source of information or construction. The term is used across disciplines such as dentistry, forensic science, anthropology, and biometrics to denote dependence on teeth morphology, dental wear, or dental records.

Etymology and usage: The compound is formed from "teeth" and "based"; in practice it is sometimes hyphenated as teeth-based, but may appear as a closed form in some texts. The term is most often encountered in theoretical or interdisciplinary discussions rather than as a standard technical category in clinical practice.

In dentistry and prosthodontics: Teethbased design emphasizes alignment and occlusion derived from individual tooth shapes. Applications include custom crowns, implants, and orthodontic plans tuned to a patient’s dentition, as well as dental prosthetics built on a model of the patient’s teeth. The approach aims to preserve or restore natural bite forces and esthetics by leveraging unique dental morphology.

Forensic anthropology and identification: Teethbased analysis uses dental records, radiographs, and morphological features for identification when other data are unavailable. Teeth provide a long-lasting record due to enamel durability, which can aid age estimation, ancestry inference, and individual identification. Limitations include the impact of dental work, restorations, and wear, as well as variation across populations.

Biometrics and research considerations: Teethbased biometrics would rely on occlusal patterns, enamel features, and dental wear. Privacy and consent concerns, along with variability from pathology or lifestyle, affect reliability. Currently, teethbased methods are typically supplementary to other identification modalities rather than standalone solutions.

See also: forensic odontology, dental anthropology, dental biometrics.