THE SOMERTON MAN MYSTERY; AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT....

 

...THE SOMERTON MAN'S TEETH...

WHAT DID WE MISS?...

...Quite a lot as it turns out.

I have spent some time reviewing various posts about the Somerton Man's teeth or rather the lack of them. Many dealt with the fact that missing so many teeth were the result of some illnesses and others dealt with how those missing teeth would make it very difficult to chew. (Shades of the packet of chewing gum perhaps?) And then of course was the discussion led by this blog on the dental chart and how the teeth of exhumed remains must match that chart. But, what did we miss?

What I think we have missed is the facial appearance of the man or rather the effects of those missing teeth on the facial appearance of the man and its not restricted to that. Read on...

I quote from an article by Dr.Piotrowski.

With some missing teeth, the jawbone is weakened which can lead to even more tooth loss. Missing teeth from the lower jaw also has an impact on the upper jaw and it may affect the sinuses.

Then, apart from the problems already mentioned with chewing, the person may experience facial collapse. The lower half of the face can change and the face can look shorter than it should be.

The lower jaw can rotate forward which in turn means that the chin as such almost disappears. 

An example of one effect of numerous missing teeth.

The nose can look longer than it is because of the extended distance between the tip of the nose and the upper lip. The upper lip protrudes somewhat and the lower lip extends forward.

Here we see the profile view, an overbite is apparent and that, I think was mentioned in a much earlier statement by Professor Abbott. This image is of a particular person and not the body of the Somerton Man.

These effects are influenced by the length of time that the teeth were missing. 

Full Face and Profile Photo of the Somerton Man

So now we have yet another interesting discovery, perhaps? Examine the profile image carefully, and see if you can detect an apparent line from the chin back to the ear.

The question now needs to be addressed by a professional Periodontist and not by those who claim knowledge by virtue of other qualifications they may possess.

That question?

Does the face of the Somerton Man shown in the image above have the same appearance as that of a person with 18 missing teeth?

1. It is acknowledged that facial distortion can be affected by the length of time the teeth were missing and that sometimes a person's face bloats after death.

2. According to the press at the time, the Police were to publish a 'reconstructed photograph'. of the man shortly after the autopsy.