A new method for casting three-dimensional shoeprints and tire marks with dental stone.

ABSTRACT

Dental stone is used as the major material for recovering three-dimensional shoeprints and tire tracks from crime scenes. The procedure for using dental stone sparsely changed over the years. There are two common methods for mixing dental stone (i) a premeasured amount of dental stone is put in a zip-lock bag to which water is added, and (ii) the water and dental stone are mixed in a bucket. We suggest a novel rapid and efficient method of mixing dental stone and water in a bottle. These methods were compared at equal conditions. The parameters measured were the number of air bubbles, the strength of the cast, the ease of use, and the sharpness and quality of the accidental characteristics present in the cast. The proposed bottle method has the advantages of both the bucket and the zip-lock methods hence it combines strength, sharpness, high quality, and ease of use.