Dentures: A hope for Disaster Victim Identification

All dental data offer information for a timely, cheap, and effective human identification process. Dental autopsy and dental data-analysis can be pivotal in disaster victim identification to such an extent that failure to employ odontologists can reduce additional findings and delays in the DVI process. Partial and full dentures found-alongside the remains can offer information on the dental history, the material employed, dietary and sociocultural information, and when jaws are fragmented or disarticulated, offer a possible technical response on the number of individuals involved. Particularly relevant are the printed palatal rugae in the palatal surface of the upper denture. An individual wearing one or two full dentures is obviously totally edentulous. In the upper, lower, or both jaws, family members living together will surely be aware of this circumstance. In the interview for the collection of antemortem dental data, they were asked specifically about any dental prosthetics or orthotics worn or used by the deceased. Greater emphasis should be placed on recording and archiving patients’ oral health data, including material specifications of fixed and removable prosthetics, encouraging the use of digital and electronic oral health records and international collaboration in the DVIscenario, and employing teleconsultation tools.

Keywords: Dentures, Dental prosthetic, Dental autopsy, DVI, Forensic odontology, Identification, Mass disaster.