Forensic dentistry in human identification: a modern science

AutorAlessandra Putrino
CargoDoctor of Dental Surgery, Specialist in Orthodontics
Páginas23-38
DOCTRINA JURÍDICA
REVISTA SEMESTRAL DE DOCTRINA, JURISPRUDENCIA Y LEGISLACIÓN
o XIII - mero 31 NOVIEMBRE 2022 e-ISSN: 2618-4133 / 1853-0338
23
SECCIÓN ENSAYOS
FORENSIC DENTISTRY IN HUMAN IDENTIFICATION:
A MODERN SCIENCE
Alessandra Putrino*
59
University “Sapienza” of Rome (Italy)
Recibido / received: 3/8/2022
Aceptado / accepted: 17/10/2022
Summary
Objectives: Forensic dentistry is a specialist branch of forensic sciences in
which dental skills are put at the service of judicial systems mainly for
investigative purposes for criminal acts or to identify victims of mass/natural
disasters or structurally altered human remains. Its global evolution and
modernization requires a comprehensive view of applications and available tools.
Materials and methods: A scoping review of the literature on this topic was
carried out by consulting the main scientific databases (PubMed, Scopus, Lilacs,
Google Scholar, Cochrane Library). Inclusion and exclusion criteria were
established. The data were collected on a purpose-made data collection form and
analysed descriptively.
Results: Studies of the applications of forensic dentistry are many and very
varied. The review identified 37 relevant published articles. Some documented
methods of investigation still use traditional systems of forensic dentistry while
others have evolved by keeping up with the latest dental technologies. The main
methods used in forensic dentistry to determine the identity of deceased or living
subjects are: dental analysis useful to identify age, race and sex, cheiloscopy, bite
marks, the rugoscopy, the oral autopsy.
Conclusions: Forensic dentistry plays a crucial role in many situations where
other equally reliable investigations to establish the identity of a subject such as
the test of DNA may be non-applicable (too altered body) or expensive (large-
scale). Knowing the possibilities that a forensic dentist has to contribute to
* Doctor of Dental Surgery, Specialist in Orthodontics, PhD Researcher, Post Doc Programme in
Innovative Technologies and Law “MICHR” of Reggio Calabria, Research Fellow at University
“Sapienza” of Rome, Private practice in Rome; Email address: alessandra.putrino@gmail.com.
DOCTRINA JURÍDICA
REVISTA SEMESTRAL DE DOCTRINA, JURISPRUDENCIA Y LEGISLACIÓN
o XIII - mero 31 NOVIEMBRE 2022 e-ISSN: 2618-4133 / 1853-0338
24
identification processes has a very important social and scientific aspect and
value.
Clinical implications: The modern times in which we live with an
international situation of huge migratory flow and frequent terrorist attacks, the
findings of corpses attributable to missing subjects and other frequent crime
events make professional skills and dental documentation essential for forensic
purposes.
Keywords:
Forensic dentistry; Personal identification; Dental Analysis; Rugoscopy; Oral
Autopsy
Introduction
Forensic dentistry (or forensic odontology) is the branch of forensic science
that exploits the skills of the dentist to determine the recognition of the person,
whether living or deceased, for investigative purposes or justice processes.
According to the definition of Keiser-Neilsen, forensic dentistry is the discipline
that “in the interest of justice deals with the proper handling and examination of
dental evidence and the proper evaluation and presentation of dental findings”
(1).
The expert odontologists may provide the help key to authorities by
providing their expertise through dental data and informations related to them
with mainly comparative methodologies in all the situations principles of forensic
dentistry are applicable: mass disasters or incidents such as air plane crashes,
train/road accidents, terrorist attacks, bomb blasts or natural events like
earthquakes, tsunamis, land slides; in cases where a more or less wide number of
human remains (especially those mutilated and dismembered) are beyond
recognition; in cases of sexual assaults and/or abuse on chidren and adults; in
cases of finding unknown persons for whom the attribution of an identification is
necessary or in finding human remains that include the head and oral cavity or
part thereof (for example, only the mandible or skull with the nasomaxillary
complex but devoid of the mandible) and, not less important, in cases of
malpractice and negligence in dental practice.
From the past to today the identification methods of odontologist
competence have been enriched of new tools and technologies. To those of an
exclusively dental nature, which mainly lead to comparative methods between
antemortem data or between ante-mortem and postmortem data (in example,
comparison between data collected during intraoral inspection and X-rays or

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