Indian Journal of Forensic Odontology

It is true that we have landed up in a very sophisticated and modernised era where the technology has outraged or excelled in every walk of life. But still, we are facing many new challenges especially in putting up a hault for the ever growing crime rates. Forensic dentistry proves out to be the major ray of hope where the conventional means of identification goes in vain. Forensic dental identifications, especially in times of manmade disasters, depend mainly on the availability of ante mortem dental records so it is the social responsibility of each and every dentist to maintain dental records of their patients for the noble cause of identification in the event of manmade disasters.

Keywords: Manmade disaster; Comparative identification; Reconstructive identification; Cheiloscopy; Denture marking systems; Rugae pattern.

Establishing a person’s identity can be a very difficult process. Dental, fingerprint and DNA comparisons are probably the most common techniques used in this context, allowing fast and secure identification processes. However, since they cannot always be used, sometimes it is necessary to apply different and lesser known techniques. One such technique is cheiloscopy. It is known that due to their special features, lip grooves can be used successfully in human identification. This paper attempts to review the techniques of cheiloscopy, and describes the different classifications and their limitations.

Keywords: Cheiloscopy; Lip prints; Human identification.

Child abuse is any mistreatment or neglect of a child that results in harm or injury. It is a widespread problem that permeates all ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic segments of our society. This can include physical, emotional or sexual abuse. More than half of cases occur in the face, head or neck. All health professionals are legally mandated to report suspected cases of child maltreatment to the proper authorities, consistent with the laws of the jurisdiction in which they practice. But dentists, as a group, have been fairly inactive participants in recognizing and reporting child maltreatment when compared to other health professionals. This lack of involvement is especially unfortunate in light of recent hospital studies which indicate that injuries to the head and neck occur in 65 to 75 percent of the cases of physically abused children.

Keywords: Child abuse; Neglect; Dentists; Social responsibility; Reporting.

Forensic Odontology is a relatively new science that utilizes the dentist’s knowledge to serve the judicial system. It has established itself as an important indispensable science in medicolegal matters and in particular in identification of the dead. Worldwide, dentists qualified in forensic science are giving expert opinion in cases related to human identification, bite mark analysis, craniofacial trauma and malpractice. Dental professionals have a major role to play in keeping accurate dental records and providing all necessary information so that legal authorities may recognize malpractice, negligence, fraud or abuse, and identify unknown humans. This article presents a literature review referring to the understanding the various methods employed in forensic odontology.

Keywords: Forensic odontology; Dental identification; Bite marks; Cheiloscopy; Rugoscopy.