Forensic Odontology

Thomas J. David, DDS earned his dental degree from Emory University School of Dentistry in 1977. He has maintained a dental practice since that time in the Atlanta metropolitan area. He is a member of the American Society of Forensic Odontology (ASFO), a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) and a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO). He has served as Chair of the Odontology Section of AAFS and President of the ABFO and has also served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Forensic Sciences (JFS). He has authored articles in various periodicals, including the JFS. He has also authored chapters in a number of textbooks, including multiple editions of the Manual of Forensic Odontology as well as the 2nd Edition of Forensic Dentistry. Dr. David is a Consultant in Forensic Odontology to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Division of Forensic Sciences and the State of Georgia Medical Examiner’s Office. He also holds a faculty appointment as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of General Dentistry of the Graduate School of Medicine of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center at Knoxville. He provides instruction for the Forensic Odontology Fellowship program and the University of Tennessee biennial Symposium “All That Remains”. James, M Lewis, DMD attended the University of Alabama and earned his dental degree from the School of Dentistry, University of Alabama, Birmingham, in 1985. He has maintained a general dentistry practice since that time, exclusively in Madison, AL since 1986. Dr. Lewis completed a Fellowship in Forensic Odontology from the Center for Education and Research in Forensics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2001. As a forensic odontologist, he assisted in victim identification in New York following the World Trade Center attack; and since 2003, he has served as a consultant to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences (ADFS). And, is a volunteer to the Alabama Office of Emergency Preparedness in relation to its mass disaster response group. Dr. Lewis is a Fellow of Odontology Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS), became board certified by the American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO) in 2008, has served on the Board of Governors of the American Society of Forensic Odontology (ASFO) and President of the organization in 2012. For the American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO), he served as member and Chair of the Dental Age Assessment Committee, 2008 – 2015; as a member of the Certification and Examination Committee, 2011 – 2015; Bitemark Evidence and Patterned Injury Committee, 2008 – 2015 and 2017; and currently holds the Office of ABFO Secretary. He is currently appointed to the Odontology Subcommittee, Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Dr. Lewis is on faculty as an Assistant Professor in the Department of General Dentistry, Fellowship in Forensic Odontology at The University of Tennessee, Graduate School of Medicine and adjunct faculty for the Center for Education and Research in Forensics (CERF), Fellowship in Forensic Odontology; and, the SW Symposium on Forensic Dentistry. He has authored text book chapters and articles in pier reviewed journals on forensic odontology.

1. Forensic Sciences and Forensic Identification2. History and Scope of Forensic Odontology3. Dental Identification and Radiographic Pitfalls4. Dental Photography5. Disaster Victim Identification6. Missing and Unidentified Persons7. Domestic Violence8. Assessment of Dental Age9. Patterned Injury Analysis and Bitemark Comparison10. United States Jurisprudence and Admissibility of Evidence11. Expert Witness Guidelines and Testimony12. Expert Witness Liability13. Ethical Issues in Forensic Science and Forensic Odontology14. Forensic Odontology related specialties