Forensic odontology operates at the nexus of health systems
and justice, where population-level outcomes—dignified disaster victim
identification, timely safeguarding of vulnerable groups, and resilient data
infrastructures—depend on how dental information is captured, curated, and
interpreted. This review synthesises contemporary evidence on the public health
functions of forensic odontology and delineates methodological and governance
priorities for the next decade. The study explores the advances in disaster
victim identification, emphasising how high-quality ante-mortem records,
digital intraoral scans, cone-beam CT, and 2D–3D superimposition can accelerate
reconciliations and reduce family uncertainty during mass fatality incidents.
It also examines age-estimation practices, highlighting the usefulness of
third-molar maturation alongside the real risk of misclassification near legal
thresholds, and outlines safeguards for probabilistic reporting and
multidisciplinary oversight. This study also assesses the field’s contribution
to violence prevention and response, including the detection and documentation
of orofacial signs of child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, and human
trafficking within trauma-informed care pathways. Community-facing preparedness
measures—such as standardised denture marking in long-term care—are discussed
as low-cost identification adjuncts. Across domains, the review underscores
three imperatives: strict validation with transparent error reporting,
privacy-preserving and interoperable data systems linked to missing-person
workflows, and workforce development that embeds disaster readiness and
safeguarding into dental education and continuing professional development.
Equity considerations run throughout, with recommendations for scalable models
suited to resource-limited settings and for international collaboration to
bolster surge capacity. The review concludes that forensic odontology yields
measurable public health benefits when practised within evidence-based
protocols and robust governance, and it cautions against techniques that lack a
scientific foundation. Limitations include its narrative scope and
heterogeneity in study designs and legal frameworks, which may affect
generalizability.
Author(s) Details
Indrapriyadharshini
Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Dental Sciences, Chinnakolambakkam, Tamil
Nadu, India.
Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/msup/v1/6610
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