Significance of Dental Records in Personal Identification in Forensic Sciences

• Main Author: Vagish Kumar L Shanbhag
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2016-01-01
• Series: Journal of Forensic Science and Medicine
• Subjects: Dental records; dentists; forensic dentistry; forensic dentists; forensic odontology; identification
• Online Access: http://www.jfsmonline.com/article.asp?issn=2349-5014;year=2016;volume=2;issue=1;spage=39;epage=43;aulast=Shanbhag

Forensic odontology is a branch that connects dentistry and the legal profession. One of the members in the forensic investigation team is a dentist. Dentists play an important and significant role in various aspects of the identification of persons in various forensic circumstances. However, several dentists and legal professionals are quite ignorant of this fascinating aspect of forensic odontology. A need was felt to fill this gap. The dental record is a legal document possessed by the dentist and it contains subjective and objective information about the patient. A PubMed search and Google search were done for articles highlighting the importance of dental records in forensic sciences using the key words "forensic odontology, forensic dentistry, forensic dentists, identification, dental records, and dental chart". A total of 42 articles relevant to the title of the article were found and reviewed. The present article highlights the role of dentists in forensic sciences, their possible contributions to forensics, and the various aspects of forensic dentistry, thus bridging the gap of knowledge between the legal and the dental fraternities.