Validation of Photographic methods for odontological comparison to aid
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Validation of Photographic methods for odontological comparison to aid in human identification
IRAS ID
236508
Contact name
Peter Mossey
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Dundee
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 1 days
Research summary
Dental Identification is the most common area in forensic odontology and central to disaster victim identification. Accurate human identification is of utmost importance for humanitarian, legal and social reasons. Identification of human remains can be achieved reliably by comparing certain human characteristics recovered from post-mortem remains with their counterparts collected from presumed missing persons. It must be based on reliable and objective methodology together with technical and scientific expertise.
When there is no dental documentation available, photographs of the (deceased/presumed missing person) posed smile play an important role. Like the traditional comparison method of ante-mortem (AM) dental data to post-mortem (PM) dental findings, photographs have also been used in human identification in the past by a method where an AM photograph of victim’s anterior teeth in a smile was critically compared with the anterior dentition of the deceased postmortem photograph in an effort to facilitate the identification process. It is not a common method to use in forensic dental identification, but nowadays hand held mobile devices are commonplace and selfies are posted on social media. This is an area that has not been explored or utilised to its full potential in human identification. This study will explore the available dental technologies like the indirect 3D digital models and intra-oral scans as an aid in forensic human dental identification. Also, the post orthodontic treated patients study models will be converted to indirect 3D digital models for comparing with their pre-orthodontic model’s. This would help test the accuracy of human identification.
Technological advances enable easier procedures for imaging, culminating in useful techniques for the interpretation of smile photographs with human identification purposes.
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
17/ES/0144
Date of REC Opinion
27 Nov 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion