Palavras-chave
Forensic Psychiatry
Dentofacial Stigmata
Dental Anthropology
Biological Determinism
Dental Anomalies
Como Citar
Resumo
Objective: To critically reexamine, from a multidisciplinary perspective encompassing Medicine, Psychiatry, and Dentistry, Cesare Lombroso’s work on the “born criminal” theory, with emphasis on dentofacial correlates and their epistemological and social implications. Materials and Methods: A critical literature review was conducted, including a historical analysis of Lombroso’s formulations within the 19th-century epistemological context. His proposed “degenerative stigmata” in dental and facial morphology were detailed and methodologically deconstructed, then contrasted with contemporary scientific knowledge. Results: Findings indicate that Lombroso’s concepts, although scientifically refuted today, significantly influenced medico-legal thought, psychiatry, and the formative stages of forensic dentistry. These ideas were contrasted with modern evidence on psychopathology (including antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy), craniofacial and dental developmental genetics, and the multifactorial etiology of criminal behavior. Furthermore, the ethical and social implications of Lombroso’s biological determinism were discussed, particularly its historical impact on penal policies and the stigmatization of individuals based on physical traits. Conclusion: Lombroso’s theses are scientifically invalidated, yet they hold heuristic value as a paradigmatic case of the dangers of biased interpretations of morphological variations. This study underscores the imperative for continuous methodological and ethical rigor at the interface of biology, medicine, psychiatry, and dentistry.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Marvin Gonçalves Duarte, Alessandra Fátima Britto Barbosa Matos, José Cardoso de Holanda Filho, Thiago Luiz de Almeida Silva, Laís Evelyn Medeiros Costa, Eudoro de Queiroz Marques Filho, Rodolfo Scavuzzi Carneiro da Cunha, Ailton Coelho de Ataíde Filho, Manoel Arthur Dias de Oliveira Antonino, Luciano Barreto Silva
