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Guidelines in human identification using odontology.
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Lecturer in Forensic Odontology, Academic Advisor to British Association for Forensic Odontology, Centre for Forensic and Legal Medicine and Dentistry, University of Dundee.
Comparative dental analysis is the main role of a UK forensic dentist. It is undertaken to determine whether postmortem findings are in agreement with the provided antemortem data for an individual, in order to achieve a positive identification. It requires dentists to maintain accurate dental records and, when a confirmatory identification is required, to breach their confidentiality obligations to their patients. Several different dental records can prove helpful during the process, which are outlined in a novel checklist designed to guide both practitioners and law enforcement officers. It is supported by the UK Missing Persons Unit and the British Association of Forensic Odontology (BAFO) and is available to download in a PDF format from dentalidrecordchecklist.com.
CPD/Clinical Relevance: All dental practitioners should be aware of forensic dentistry as a specialism and how they may be required to help during a human identification. Understanding the principles of comparative dental analysis should be attained, thus recognizing the importance of releasing dental records, preventing delays and uncertainty around breaching confidentiality obligations.
Article
Forensic odontology (FO) is a dental specialism that has been used for hundreds of years, and dates back to 66AD.1 It involves a liaison between dental specialists and the judiciary system through the proper handling of dental evidence. This discipline is widely accepted among global law authorities and can be used as a form of supportive evidence within courts.1,2 FO has also been used in a number of high-profile cases, underlining the importance and significance of the vocation. For instance, forensic odontological techniques were employed to aid the identifications of Adolf Hitler and his wife, and were used to identify individuals lost in the Grenfell Tower fire.3–5 The founding father of FO, Oscar Amoëdo, established the profession as a consequence of tragic events that occurred in Paris in 1897. Unbeknown to him, this catastrophic accident paved the way for the future of forensic odontology.6
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