Cristiana Palmela Pereira & Ricardo Henrique Alves da Silva

University of Lisbon & University of Sao Paulo

The establishment of a positive identification of unknown human remains by comparative dental analysis requires the submission of supporting documentation from the dental provider (s) who treated the patient, the missing person, as well as careful documentation of the unidentified remains. Human Identification by dental analysis is the comparison of oral maxillofacial structures. The procedures to reconcile this information (e.g., radiographs, charts, and progress notes) have been outlined by numerous forensic organizations including the International Organization of Forensic OdontoStomatology (IOFOS), American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO), British Association of Forensic Odontology (BAFO), INTERPOL’s DVI Steering Committee and Forensic Odontology Subcommittee as well as many others. The consequences of a misidentification can have emotional and legal ramifications well beyond a specific case. Thus, using the proper method and procedure for such method(s) of human identification is of the most importance. Dental identification is the most common method of identifying human remains that are decomposed, burned, fragmented, or skeletonized. This identification is accomplished by conducting a thorough postmortem dental examination, the collection of antemortem dental and medical records, and the comparison of the postmortem evidence with the antemortem record. It is imperative that the proper procedures be followed, and that meticulous attention is paid to the detail of the postmortem examination and comparison to the antemortem dental record.

The goals of this workshop are: