Forensic Dental Techniques

Introduction

Case Report

One of the common methods of identifying unknown dead persons is by confrontation identification. This method is used by the police on the basis of a presumed identity of the body, which a relative or someone else subsequently visually confirms when confronted with the face or the general appearance of the dead person's body and clothes. The facial features can also be compared with a past photograph or other identity cards. However, if the body is damaged in some manner, be it by fire or simple putrefaction, the facial features may be missing and then other features or characteristics have to be used. One such feature is the anatomy of the frontal sinus according to a posterior-anterior radiograph. But a dental identification is usually easier to perform, since radiographs are only infrequently unavailable, because most people are likely to have visited their dentists at least once and had radiographs taken of the teeth. Moreover, teeth are the hardest tissue of the body and can resist...