The importance of forensic dentistry in recognizing victims of disasters is immeasurable. According to the Disaster Victim Identification Guide, if a positive match is found through dental identification, it can be trusted to be an independent identifier. Dental structures are well-protected and are the toughest structures in the body, making forensic odontology a dependable tool for identifying victims with multiple fatalities. However, success depends on adequate dental remains that survive the disaster and on the availability of dental records. This article provides an overview of current practices in identification techniques in forensic dentistry and describes recent developments that are becoming more widespread.
It also outlines best practices for deploying a forensic odontology team in an incident involving mass death. This includes defining the appropriate protocol, equipment, hardware and software requirements, as well as the command structure for the deployment of this equipment as part of the entire operation to identify victims of the disaster. Forensic dental comparison is one of the three main identifiers designated by INTERPOL to identify victims of an incident in which multiple victims have occurred. However, forensic dentistry can be affected if dental remains are destroyed or not found, or when dental records are inadequate or unavailable. Prajapati et al offer an excellent systematic review of the role of forensic dentistry around the world in major mass disasters. The future of disaster victim identification (DVI) forensic dentistry techniques is likely to include the use of 3D data sets for comparison.
It appears that the future of comparison technologies in forensic dentistry is firmly based on the third dimension.
