Comparative study among Dentistry undergraduates and Forensic Odontology postgraduate students through smile photographs for human identification

Abstract

The execution of forensic odontology technique for human identification depends on the existence of dental files produced ante-mortem (dental records, clinical notes, radiographs or dental casts). However, when these are not present, other sources of dental data should be searched, such as photographs of the smile. Objective:To compare the performance of undergraduates of Dentistry and postgraduate students of Forensic Odontology to execute human identification through the analysis of photographs of the smile based on decisive dental parameters. Material and methods: Forty Dentistry undergraduates of a School of Dentistry (20 presenting history of orthodontic treatment and 20 without treatment were photographed as follows: 1) extraoral photograph of posed smile, at frontal position and; 2) intraoral photograph, at frontal position. Using these 40 pairs of photographs, four tests were prepared (A, B, C and D) which were sent to both 12 undergraduates of Dentistry and 12 postgraduate students of Forensic Odontology both from another