The importance of record keeping in Forensic Odontology : a case discussion and general medico-legal guidelines for all practitioners

Abstract

Forensic Odontologists may be called upon to help identify deceased individuals in situations such as: criminal cases, where victim identification is needed before official investigations can take place; marriages, where confirmation of the death of a spouse is required before the partner can remarry; for monetary purposes, such as paying out of pensions and life insurance policies; for completion of death certificates prior to burial; for social reasons such as closure for family members; for unclaimed bodies; for unidentified bodies in mass disasters; and in cases of fires, drowning, violent crimes, and motor vehicle accidents where the bodies may be so badly disfigured, decomposed or physically altered, that identification by family members would be psychologically traumatic. Although many regions of the body have been used for identification purposes, the teeth remain one of the most ideal sources as they have a number of distinctive features and are able to withstand many chemical and physical insults that would destroy other body tissues. Radiographs taken at the time of autopsy should replicate the type and angles of the any existing records as closely as possible. It is routine that a thorough, systematic, clinical and radiological examination is carried out on each tooth as well as the surrounding oral tissues. The list of features examined is extensive, especially in cases with little or no restorative work, as these are much more difficult to positively identify.