NCJ Number
182157
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 45 Issue: 2 Dated: March 2000 Pages: 381-383
Date Published
March 2000
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article examines the specialty of dental hygiene and addresses its role in the identification of mass-disaster fatalities.
Abstract
The dental hygienist (DH) has the skills and knowledge that can directly benefit a forensic dental team. The DH's expertise is such to allow him/her to assume a high level of responsibility, to provide professional assistance, and to increase the efficiency of the dental team. A DH has the administrative skills to serve as the dental registrar and to assume responsibilities for antemortem (AM) and postmortem (PM) dental records and for the duplication of all dental records that other sources may need. The PM team is sequentially divided into the following areas of responsibility: surgical exposure, radiography, and clinical examination of the dentition and oral cavity. The DH is capable of providing surgical assistance in these instances and can assist with the various techniques used to gain access to teeth in viewable remains. The DH's knowledge of dental charting, dental anatomy, tooth numbering systems, dental radiographs, and dental records in general is an automatic qualification for the AM dental record reconstruction team. For the records comparison team, the DH can triage dental records for manual comparison; assist in the search for possible matches; and sort records by specific categories, such as gender, deciduous dentition, and prosthetic appliances. Further, the DH is qualified to maintain forensic ID response kits and to procure the required dental materials, instruments, and equipment. 20 references