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Prof Herman Bernitz is a private dental practitioner and Senior Stomatologist in the Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Biology in the School of Dentistry, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
He completed his B.Ch.D in 1978, his M.Sc. (Odont) cum laude in Oral Pathology in 1996, and his Dip. Odont. cum laude in Forensic Odontology in 1998. His thesis entitled "A model to determine the individual discrimination potential of numerically analysed dental features in the anterior twelve teeth" earned him a PhD in Forensic Dentistry in 2004. He lectures in Oral Pathology and Forensic Dentistry. Since 1998 he has acted as forensic consultant during which time he has been involved in all aspects of Forensic Dentistry. His DVI missions include the Air Kenya disaster in Douala, Cameroon, the ammunition explosion in Maputo Mozambique, and the Sundance air disaster in the Congo. He has acted as expert witness in both the Pretoria and Johannesburg Supreme Courts as well as circuit courts around the country in bite mark related cases. His research has revolutionised the presentation of bite mark cases in our high courts, and has led to the conviction of suspects who would have otherwise walked free. He has attended courses/given lectures on Forensic Odontology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, the UCLA campus Los Angeles, the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, the University of Oslo, Norway, BODEA meeting Gabarone, Botswana and the International Association of Forensic Sciences meetings in Montpellier, France, Hong Kong, China, and New Orleans USA. He was the chairman of the "bite mark" working group in Lillehamer, Norway, where international standards were set for bite mark analysis. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Forensic Odonto-stomatology and online Forensic Journal. He has acted as referee in forensic manuscripts both nationally and internationally. He is presently the International President of IOFOS (International association for Forensic Odonto-Stomatology) a position he has held for the past six years. He is married to Zephné, a practicing veterinarian and they have four children.
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Professor Bernitz will present:
Child abuse and the dentist: Differences between intentional and unintentional neglect
This lecture will focus on the different forms of child abuse. It will highlight the differences between intentional and unintentional abuse especially in third world countries where socio-economic factors play a significant role. It will include traumatic and pathological lesions observed in abused children. The role and responsibilities of the general practitioner will also be discussed.
Bite marks and the general dental practitioner
This lecture will introduce the practitioner to the realities of identifying and analysing bite marks. It will highlight the differences between marks seen on skin and those found on inanimate objects such as cheese. It will elaborate the procedures to be followed when confronted with a bite mark and will include a step by step explanation of the recommended protocol.
Analysing bite marks: modern trends and common pitfalls
This lecture will focus on the different analyses used to individualise bite marks. It will include the concepts of warping, shrinkage and distortion and the techniques used to combat these distortions. The lecture will include case studies in an effort to combat the myth that bite marks should not be used as evidence in our high courts.
Bite Mark Workshop
This workshop will be introduced by a video of the protocol to be followed when confronted with a bite mark. The workshop will be a hands-on cheese bite mark analysis. Each participant will receive a CD of the protocols.
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