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Identification of the living and the dead
Published in Jason Payne-James, Richard Jones, Simpson's Forensic Medicine, 2019
Jason Payne-James, Richard Jones
Forensic odontology is one of the most important specialties available to establish or confirm identity of unknown bodies whether in isolation, after terrorist events, in mass graves or after natural disasters. The success of such identification is very dependent on access to ante mortem records from general dental practitioners. Pre-existing (ante mortem) dental records and charts and radiographic images can be compared with examination of the dentition of the deceased (Figure 14.1). If these are not immediately available an odontologist will construct dental charts of bodies whose identity remains unknown or unconfirmed despite a police investigation, so that, should dental information become available at a later date, the two sets of records may be then be compared. The essence of the identification by dentition is comparison. This implies that the dental chart has to be compared with, and found to match, a chart whose origins are known (Figure 14.2). Unfortunately, studies suggest that the recording of accurate dental charts by general dental practitioners is sometimes inadequate.
Radiographic Applications in Forensic Dental Identification
Published in Michael J. Thali M.D., Mark D. Viner, B. G. Brogdon, Brogdon's Forensic Radiology, 2010
Dental identifications should be made by an experienced dentist with additional training and experience in forensic odontology, which is normally absent in dental school cur-ricula. Such training is available through several courses given annually throughout the United States and Canada and by attending annual meetings of forensic odontology groups. These meetings include excellent scientific sessions in which many highly experienced individuals present state- of-the-art information and case studies. If at all possible, medical examiners should attempt to form working relationships with forensic odontologists who have been certified by the American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO). Diplomates of the ABFO are initially required to demonstrate a substantial body of work and undertake a challenging and extensive examination with written, practical, and oral components. Diplomates must also be recertified every five years. The most recent checklist for accreditation by the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) includes the question as to an affiliation with an ABFO Diplomate.16
The Radiological Autopsy
Published in Julian L Burton, Guy Rutty, The Hospital Autopsy, 2010
Forensic odontology is an established means of identification. The dentition of the deceased may be correlated with prior dental records or photographs of the deceased smiling. This is traditionally achieved by physical examination of the dentition by an odontologist and contemporaneous or subsequent comparison with available dental records. In mass fatality situations, the use of conventional x-rays to record dentition can be particularly timeconsuming, with radiography becoming a rate-limiting factor in body processing. It is important to remember that all modes of dental identification are, of course, fundamentally dependent on the existence of dental records for comparison. The absence of prior dental records caused significant difficulty in the identification of the victims of the Asian tsunami on 26 December 2004 (Petju et al., 2007).
Virtual reality and its transformation in forensic education and research practices
Published in Journal of Visual Communication in Medicine, 2022
3D scanning is increasingly being used in the field of forensic odontology. VR can be used to accurately visualise and examine the whole craniofacial and dental morphology. Similar to pattern analysis (Thali et al., 2005), bitemark comparison and analysis can be performed using VR. VR can help not only in identifying colour changes but also in determining the pattern and superimposition. Furthermore, VR can aid in effective documentation, metric examination (Koller, Ebert, et al., 2019), and superimposition of the palatal rugae, teeth morphology, and chieloscopy.
Radiographic evaluation of the mandible to predict age and sex in subadults
Published in Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, 2022
Age and sex determination involve a complex array of factors. Most of the bones that make up the adult human skeleton display sexual dimorphism, and studies claim a sexing accuracy of 90% from the skull and mandible [2]. Moreover, because the mandible and teeth are extremely fire-resistant and are usually recovered largely intact despite unfavourable conditions [3,4], forensic odontology has gained importance as a tool for identifying skeletal and dental remains.