Contemporary practice in forensic odontology

Abstract

Forensic odontology plays a major role in the identification of those individuals who cannot be identified visually or by other means. The unique nature of dental anatomy and placement of custom restorations ensure accuracy when the techniques are correctly employed. It is evident that identification of victims in accidents and natural calamities is of utmost importance and is a challenging task. The teeth may also be used as weapons and under certain circumstances; they may provide information regarding the identity of the biter. Dental professionals play a major role in keeping accurate dental records and providing all necessary information so that legal authorities may recognize malpractices, negligence, fraud child abuse and also, identify an individual. In this article, we will discuss such evolvement of the subject.

Discrepancies between dental and medical records of cardiac patients in AlHada Armed Forces Hospital, Taif, Saudi Arabia

“…Results of the physical examination of the dentition and supporting oral and surrounding structures must be recorded. [1] Medical and dental care have evolved as separate entities, each with its own professional diversity, terminology, associated technologies, research interest, and information recording methods. Absolute knowledge of a patient's health information is an essential aspect of the dentist's responsibility and is essential for providing safe and appropriate dental treatment in the context of any systemic disorders.…”

Esthetic Reformation of Traumatically Fractured Anterior Tooth Using Prefabricated Fiber Post and Core in Uncooperative Pediatric Patient: A Case Report

“…By acting in the civil, criminal, and research sectors, forensic dentists play a major role in modern criminal investigations [12,13,14]. The civil dental forensic field includes malpractice and neglect; the criminal field includes identification of specimens; and research encompasses both academic courses for different specialists with undergraduate and postgraduate training, and new research endeavors [3,7,8,15,16,17,18]. Natural teeth in all vertebrates, including humans, are the most durable organ of the body, persisting long after other skeletal structures have decomposed and are the most often preserved structures after death [19,20].…”

“…Defined by Keiser-Neilson in 1970, forensic dentistry is the -the branch of forensic medicine which in the interest of justice deals with the proper evaluation, examination, treatment and presentation of the results of dental evidence‖ [4,5,6]. In addition, forensic dentistry applies the art and science of dentistry to assist legal authorities through the evaluation and presentation of dental evidence, accepted by the court and the general scientific community, to resolve legal issues and contribute scientific and objective data to legal processes [7,8,9,10,11]. By acting in the civil, criminal, and research sectors, forensic dentists play a major role in modern criminal investigations [12,13,14].…”

“…Dental records should never contain references to the patient's financial status, or to the dentist's personal opinions. In addition, the records must be maintained for 7-10 years, with secure, controlled-access storage to ensure patient privacy [4,8,28,32,34,35]. Because dentists develop and maintain solid dental records, they become valuable members of the legal team when an individual must be identified [36,37,38,39].…”

“…The identification of an individual, legally establishing a person's identity, may be formally made by the forensic dentist and may be required by legal professionals when visual recognition is not possible, particularly in cases of homicide, fire, natural mass disaster, or war [8]. According to Interpol (2009), fingerprint, comparative dental, and DNA analysis comprise the primary methods of identification [17].…”