Overview on Forensic Odontology
When it comes to law enforcement and the identification of specific criminal and legal cases, dentistry has a lot to offer. An interdisciplinary area of dental sciences that deals with legal issues in dentistry is called "forensic dentistry." Teeth can be used to distinguish between human remains in mass disasters like plane accidents, natural disasters, and terrorist attacks since they are resistant to fire, unintentional collisions, and explosions. In situations where generic identification techniques like fingerprint recognition and ocular recognition are unavailable, forensic dentistry can also provide identification of burned, disfigured, and skeletal human remains. Analyzing and identifying bite marks and registering them can also provide information in some criminal situations, such as rape, assault, homicide, and other sorts of crime. Forensic dentistry examines injuries in alleged battery cases in extreme situations where there has been significant facial trauma and identification is impossible. Throughout life and beyond, the physiological characteristics, changes, and treatment histories of the teeth remain constant. The physical properties of enamel, dentine, and pulp can reveal a lot about their distinct characteristics and identities. Additionally, the dental pulp is a source of DNA, and the data gleaned from it can assist the police in cross-referencing and identifying a victim. Since they are particular to each person, the professionals frequently use enamel rods and hieroglyphics. They are far more heat- and decay-resistant than fingerprints. When the dentist uses an enamel printer, the collection of enamel rods is like a set of fingerprints. Using the amelogenin gene, dental professionals can recognise individuals. The victim's sex is ascertained by taking a gene from the pulp of a tooth and using a polymerase chain reaction to examine the results. In the study of deceased victims, blood is frequently not accessible, but teeth and bones allow precise DNA access. On the other hand, because of their special structure and positioning, teeth are significantly more resilient to harm. Since they are firmly anchored in the bone, DNA is given significantly more protection than bones are when compared to bone deterioration. Bite mark analysis is another area of forensic odontology that identifies offenders by matching dental records with the bite mark left at the scene or on the victim. Since they can be left by the victim in an act of self-defense, bite marks are frequently useful in identifying the offender. However, because of inconsistencies and distortions in bite marks, bite mark registration is not always precise. As a result, they are frequently combined with other sources of data to compare and analyse the research techniques and provide more convincing proof. To identify abuse among people of all ages, forensic dentistry plays a critical role. As a result, dental professionals have a responsibility to maintain correct dental records and to give all required information to the authorities in cases of carelessness, malpractice, abuse, or to identify unidentified people.