Forensic dentists deal with a range of medicolegal problems.
Identification of the human remains of natural disasters,
terrorist activities, and missing and unknown persons
is a central activity. This may involve participation
in autopsy examinations at the request of law enforcement,
coroners, or medical examiners at the local or state level.
The postmortem dental examination of human remains usually
involves charting dental and cranial features, radiographic
(x-ray) documentation of these features, and forensic
report writing regarding these findings. A second step
is the application of these findings to investigations
by law enforcement to identify the missing or unknown
person.
Two dental radiographs. Left is
taken after death;
right is before death. The metal crown and
dental structures have similar outlines.
Dental identification plays a particularly important
role in the identification of victims of catastrophic
events where there are massive numbers of casualties such
as airplane crashes (Pan Am flight 103 and American Airlines
flight 587), fires, floods, earthquakes, or terrorist
attacks (Oklahoma City Federal Building and the World
Trade Center).
The identification of unknown persons may start at a
disaster or crime scene or during the autopsy examination
at the request of law enforcement, coroners, or medical
examiners at the local or state level. Using both physical
and biological dental evidence (a complete or fragmented
jaw or a few teeth), the postmortem examination consists
of a visual examination and x-rays. Information gathered
during this examination along with cranial features, if
available, is documented in a written report. This information
is either used by law enforcement to assist in the investigation
and/or coded into a computer identification program that
contains both antemortem (before death) and postmortem
(after death) dental records (www.winid.com).
The computer compares these records in an attempt to match
the unknown with known samples, records, or photographs.
Another important area of forensic dentistry is bite
mark analysis in cases of assault, rape, and/or homicide.
This is demanding work with rigorous standards requiring
special training and experience. Inexperienced odontologists
usually consult senior odontologists to serve as mentors
when embarking on actual casework.
During bite mark analysis, the odontologist also may
collect trace salivary evidence for later DNA profiling
and matching.
Digital imaging methods may be used in comparing dental
evidence from a homicide suspect (www.forensic.to).
Another activity is injury analysis that determines
the presence and extent of dental injuries or physical
neglect in an adult, children, and elderly abuse cases.
Odontologists also give expert testimony in civil litigation
involving dental issues such as personal injury law, workers
compensation, professional malpractice, and disputes regarding
aspects of the dentist/patient relationship.
