Open AccessMaintaining dental records: Are we ready for forensic needs?
Author(s) -
Madhusudan Astekar,
Swati Saawarn,
Gayathri Ramesh,
Nisheeth Saawarn
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of forensic dental sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 0975-2137
pISSN - 0975-1475
DOI - 10.4103/0975-1475.92143
Subject(s) - forensic science , medical record , medicine , forensic dentistry , population , family medicine , medical emergency , hospital records , dentistry , environmental health , veterinary medicine , surgery , radiology
Dental remains are usually the last to get destroyed among body parts after death. They may be useful for personal identification in cases of mass disasters and decomposed unidentified bodies. Dental records may help in the identification of suspects in criminal investigations and in medicolegal cases. Maintenance of dental records is legally mandatory in most of the European and American countries. Unfortunately, the law is not very clear in India, and the awareness is very poor.