Dental Identification

When considering the many processes that are involved in forensic dentistry,

most laypersons are familiar with identification of a deceased individual

through the comparison of dental radiographs. Identification by dental means

is a fast and reliable method. Dental identification is most often accomplished

by comparing postmortem dental radiographs from the unidentified person

with antemortem radiographs of a known individual. This process of dental

forensics is often interpreted on currently popular forensic television series

by the actor-dentist holding a dental radiograph backlit by the room lights

with the film overhead while standing in the elevator lobby. This generally

occurs following a brief evaluation of a body in the morgue. But, of course,

the actor-dentist is certain that the radiographs he was just handed for evaluation

are from the decedent. The positive identification is completed and

without further discussion the district attorney’s case theory is confirmed

and the suspect is incarcerated.

In real forensic cases the process of using dental radiographs and dental

charting can be an accurate and efficient method for making a positive identification

or exclusion. But, the comparison must be completed in a controlled

and methodical manner, with attention to the details of the dental structures

and restorations that may be seen in the radiographic comparison. A comparison

of an antemortem radiograph with a body in the morgue occurs only

in the virtual reality of television and film world.

In a dental identification, the initial goal of the forensic dentist is to obtain

a set of postmortem photographs, radiographs, and accurate dental charting

on the unidentified person. This can be a straightforward or difficult process,

depending on the condition of the postmortem specimen and the physical

resources available to the dentist. The problems most often involve limited

available resources in the morgue setting.