iDENTIfyme Informative Campaign: Raising Forensic Dental Identification Awareness in the Community

• Main Author: Emilio Nuzzolese
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Society for Preventive Medicine 2021-05-01
• Series: Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• Subjects: human identification; missing persons; forensic odontology
• Online Access: http://www.jpmph.org/upload/pdf/jpmph-21-081.pdf

The identification of human remains can be performed visually through families and next-of-kin, but it is not advisable to rely only on visual recognition; instead, it is preferable to conduct a forensic comparison of antemortem and postmortem data for primary identifiers (fingerprints, DNA, and dental data). A dental autopsy is particularly valuable in the identification process of skeletonized, carbonized, saponified, and fragmented human remains. The principal challenge in the identification process is the search and collection of antemortem data. To this end, all dental information held on a missing person can represent a precious source of individualizing information that families should share with the police or investigating agencies after reporting a disappearance.