New research showing that teeth are one of the best repositories for DNA in the human body is quickly setting precedence in courtrooms across the nation.  Using DNA dental technology, in conjunction with traditional means of body identification, has helped solve hundreds of cases in the past fifty years.  Forensic dentistry is also one of the most valuable investigative tools available today to link crime suspects with their victims.

With several high-profile missing persons cases in the news today, the topic of forensic dentistry is gaining importance and attention as investigators attempt to piece together several yet-unsolved puzzles.  More and more the importance of dental records is becoming evident of in both criminal and civil actions.  From using bite mark analysis to prove your neighbor's dog bit your child to the extreme cases of identifying bodies, forensic dentistry is an important part of dentistry that all dentists should know about.

Purposes of Identification

Teeth provide investigators and forensic experts with an excellent resource for identifying people involved in catastrophic situations and missing persons cases.  The protective qualities of the human tooth keep the inner pulp safe (where DNA is stored) and can preserve this tissue even under the most extreme external conditions.

Without dental records and the expert analysis provided by dentists, an incomplete picture would be painted in criminal and civil investigations, as well as in body identification.  Forensic dentistry can provide the verification needed to achieve legal justice while providing emotional closure to those involved.  In catastrophic cases, a dentist can help officials identify victims when no other identifiers are available.  Dentists played a leading role in the identification of victims from the 9-11 tragedy.  As well, dentists were involved in identifying 77 percent of the victims of the Oklahoma City Bombing disaster using their dental records.  Without proper identification of these victims, Timothy McVeigh would not have been charged with their murders under the writ of Habeas Corpus.

The FBI has been working on a nationwide high speed dental identification system that can compare thousands of dental records in minutes and automatically rank possible matches.  With the ease of transmission of digital radiographs and photographs, identification of victims can often be done within hours of a body being found.  According to the FBI, there is an average of 100,000 active missing persons in the United States at any given point in time.  Nearly a third of them meet with a tragic end. 

The importance of maintaining accurate and up-to-date dental records cannot be underscored enough.  Without the benefit of accurate dental records, countless court cases and criminal investigations would flounder, leaving little recourse to those affected.  Forensic dentistry can bring closure to tragic situations for those who remain and allow them to get on with their lives.