Dental Biometrics as an Aid in the Determination of Human Identity

Dental biometrics involves the use of features unique to the human dentition as an aid to personal identification and is widely accepted within the forensic field. Teeth, with their physiologic variations, pathoses and effects of therapy, record information that remains throughout life and beyond. The teeth constitute a scientific method in forensic identification, principally due to the great resistance to the agents which provoke the destruction of the soft tissues in the corpses (putrefaction, traumatic, physical and chemical agents) and to the high morphological variability of the human teeth. Dental biometrics allow to determine several parameters of forensic interest: specimen, population affinity, sex, age, stature and individualization's factors. Comparative dental identifications play a major role in identifying the victims of violence, disaster or other mass tragedies. The comparison of antemortem and postmortem dental records to determine human identity has long been established. Based on an appropriate knowledge of the available methods, dentists can choose the most appropriate one since the validity of identity estimation crucially depends on the method used and its proper application. The 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.