Forensic Odontology as a Public Health Tool: Integrating Identification, Safeguarding, and Data Governance | Chapter 7 | Medical Science: Updates and Prospects Vol. 1

 

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

Major Road Traffic Emergencies: The Role of Forensic Odontologist | Chapter 13 | Medicine and Medical Research: New Perspectives Vol. 8

Mass disasters may arise from natural or manmade circumstances. Over the past few decades, there has been a considerable evolution in trauma therapy, which has decreased mortality during the golden hour. There are still issues, though, and one of them is maxillofacial damage in a patient who has had several traumas. Because the craniofacial region is so close to the brain, cervical spine, and airway, severe damage to this area might make it more difficult to treat a trauma patient in the early stages. In the event of maxillofacial injuries, the standard strategies of airway, breathing and circulation (ABC) therapy are frequently adjusted or enhanced with other approaches. In an already challenging scenario, such alterations come with their own set of difficulties and traps. This chapter focuses on mass disasters that mainly arise from manmade circumstances. Here, we also want to increase awareness among readers of the recent developments in the good samaritan law to incentivize bystanders. This chapter includes Causes and Risk Factors, Trauma Management and Triage. In situations involving mass casualties, Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) is paramount which is dealt with in detail. A special section on the Role of Forensic Odontology highlights how dental evidence can be crucial in both trauma and disaster scenarios, aiding in identification and investigation. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the critical aspects of managing trauma cases, with a specific focus on forensic odontology.

 

Author (s) Details

Saloni Verma
Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, UP, India.

 

Priya Devi
Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, UP, India.

 

Roshna Sankar NS
Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, UP, India.

 

Shalini Gupta
Department of Oral Pathology & Microbiology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, UP, India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mmrnp/v8/2941