Awareness of forensic odontology among dentists in Australia: are they keeping forensically valuable dental records?

Abstract

Background Forensic odontologists provide an important service to the community by identifying unknown deceased people, allowing both legal outcomes and family closure. Non‐visual identification may be achieved by comparison of post‐mortem data with ante‐mortem dental records provided by oral health practitioners. Success is dependent largely on the accuracy and adequacy of data in the dental records. Methods An online self‐administered questionnaire evaluated Australian dentists’ knowledge and behaviours relevant to forensic odontology. Reported record keeping practices were assessed for detail, legibility, accessibility and retention. Behaviours were classified according to the frequency of response. Results Dentists reported overall reasonable awareness of the major applications of forensic odontology. Personal information and details of restorative treatment were recorded at high levels, while tooth anomalies, photography, additional patient details and denture marking were recorded inadequately. Legible tooth coding was reported at a high level, while other key legibility practices were recorded inadequately. Few of the behaviours related to retention or to maximize accessibility were recorded at a high level. Conclusions Australian dentists have high expectations of the forensic value of their dental records; however, many processes that would enhance the diagnostic, medico‐legal and forensic value of dental records are not routinely applied.

Teaching of forensic odontology in basic dental programmes in nine Australian dental schools: A survey

“…14 However, a study in Australia showed that even though there was some awareness of forensic odontology amongst practising dentists during their undergraduate years, the dental records were still suboptimal and good practice standards were not applied. 15 These findings were similar to those found in two Indian surveys. 2,16 This particular study in Australia 15 did not discuss how much forensic odontology awareness or exposure the dentists received during their undergraduate years.…”

Knowledge, awareness, and practice of forensic odontology among dental surgeons in Bhubaneswar, India

“…Furthermore, a survey of Australian dentists showed that the majority of undergraduate respondents recalled learning about forensic odontology during their education, but there was no exposure to this subject for postgraduates. [19] The reasons for making errors and barriers to accurate and complete record keeping included "lack of time" and "workload" associated with busy dental practices. [19] The need for record keeping guidelines in dental practices (from either the registration authority or a professional association) should be explicitly taken into account.…”

“…[19] The reasons for making errors and barriers to accurate and complete record keeping included "lack of time" and "workload" associated with busy dental practices. [19] The need for record keeping guidelines in dental practices (from either the registration authority or a professional association) should be explicitly taken into account. [19] In Brazil, law 5081/66 states [20] that dentists working in forensic dentistry can study each subject's neck and head, rather than being limited to the dentition.…”

“…[19] The need for record keeping guidelines in dental practices (from either the registration authority or a professional association) should be explicitly taken into account. [19] In Brazil, law 5081/66 states [20] that dentists working in forensic dentistry can study each subject's neck and head, rather than being limited to the dentition. Furthermore, the Brazilian Federal Council of Dentistry states that a patient's dental record should contain professional data, the patient's identification data, and data on self-reported medical history, the clinical examination, the treatment plan and any interruptions, prescriptions, and complementary tests.…”

Determinants of knowledge and practice of forensic dentistry amongst dental practitioners

“…The questionnaire development was based on previous similar studies. 10,11,14,[16][17][18][19][20] The researchers comprehensively reviewed the initial draft of questionnaire during several meetings to ensure face and content validity. Once finalised, a pilot testing of the questionnaire was conducted on 20 dentists.…”