Abstract
Purpose and Objectives. Dental and dental hygiene curricula must meet the core competencies established by the American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation. As a result, there is limited time to expose students to the research and knowledge associated with additional important topics, such as dental forensics. The purpose of this research is to assess dental forensic knowledge and dental forensic radiographic skills of dental students. Methods. Ten radiographs of extracted permanent maxillary molars were exposed. One of the teeth was heat-altered to 600°F (315.6°C) for 15 minutes and then was radiographed. The 11 radiographs were presented to 152 dental students who were asked to match the radiograph of the heat-altered tooth to the original radiograph of that tooth. Students were also asked to respond to a 10-question survey about dental forensic knowledge. Results. Most (92.1%) students matched the heat-altered tooth’s radiograph with the original radiograph. Five survey questions had at least 70% of the respondents with correct responses. There were no statistically significant differences by dental class status or sex. Conclusion. Although dental students were competent in matching radiographs, there remains a need for more knowledge about dental forensics.
Highlights
Teeth, when compared to bone, are the strongest tissues of the human body [1]
When dental restorations are present, the teeth are useful for specific human identifications, if existing dental radiographs are available [1]
A specific course in dental forensics is not included in the curricula; the skills from the dental anatomy course and the dental radiology course are hypothesized to transfer to dental forensic skills
Summary
Teeth, when compared to bone, are the strongest tissues of the human body [1]. Drastic changes in bone properties during burning can cause great difficulties in forensic identification. Bone is subject to heat-induced shrinkage and deformations that alter morphological indicators that are critical for victim identification [2]. When teeth are subjected to heat, teeth are much less susceptible to destruction than bone [1]. Teeth are able to withstand a significant amount of heat before undergoing drastic change. The anatomy of human teeth, when compared to other species, is unique and useful for human identification. When dental restorations are present, the teeth are useful for specific human identifications, if existing dental radiographs are available [1]
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