Role of Forensic Odontology in the World's Major Mass Disasters : Facts and Figures

From Volume 36, Issue 7, September 2009 | Pages 430-436

Authors

Sachin C Sarode

MDS

Senior Lecturer, Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Dr D Y Patil Dental College and Hospital, Maheshnagar, Pimpri, Pune – 18, Maharashtra, India

Articles by Sachin C Sarode

Gargi A Zarkar

MDS 2nd year student, Dr D Y Patil Dental College and Hospital, Maheshnagar, Pimpri, Pune – 18, Maharashtra, India

Articles by Gargi A Zarkar

Meena A Kulkarni

MDS

Head of the Department, Dr D Y Patil Dental College and Hospital, Maheshnagar, Pimpri, Pune – 18, Maharashtra, India

Articles by Meena A Kulkarni

Rajiv Desai

MDS

Professor, Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Dr D Y Patil Dental College and Hospital, Maheshnagar, Pimpri, Pune – 18, Maharashtra, India

Articles by Rajiv Desai

Abstract

Forensic identification of the victims in mass disasters is essential, not only for humanitarian reasons, but also for civil or criminal investigative need. The number of victims identified with the help of forensic odontology in various mass disasters in the world has been analysed and discussed. The result depicts the necessity of keeping proper dental records at institutional and individual level. Thus the use of forensic odontology in a series of mass disasters has been explored. The most common aspect of forensic odontology that a general practitioner is likely to encounter is the supply of ante-mortem records to aid in human identification.

Article