Dental identification practices across Australia

ABSTRACT

Dental comparison has been a trusted primary method of human identification for centuries, with its processes evolving with advances in knowledge and technology. However, the scientific validity of the processes has never been rigorously tested. Recent publications have examined the validity of various forensic science opinion disciplines which have highlighted the need for the profession to conduct robust scientific studies of the methods of dental identification. This study explores variation in the processes employed throughout the entire workflow of dental identification, and the opinions of Australian practitioners regarding the current application of and need for validation. Current practitioners and those undergoing postgraduate training in forensic odontology were asked to complete a survey of 26 questions. Twenty-four participants with varying levels of experience and current involvement in dental identification completed the survey. Results show variation in radiographic technology used as well as differing reliance on various comparison techniques. Opinions on reporting statistics and the use of a dental pattern database provide interesting insight into potential applications in the validation of dental identification.

KEYWORDS:

• Forensic odontology
• feature comparison
• dental identification
• human identification
• validation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).