3D dental records in Australian dental practise - a hidden gold mine for forensic identification

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dc.contributor.authorPerkins, H.
dc.contributor.authorHughes, T.
dc.contributor.authorForrest, A.
dc.contributor.authorHiggins, D.
dc.date.issued2025
dc.descriptionPublished online: 29 May 2024
dc.description.abstractHuman identification via dental comparison is only possible if sufficient antemortem dental records are available. These records are sourced from dental practices. New 3D digital technologies are increasingly being used by dentists in Australia for routine clinical procedures and offer significantly more data for individualizing people than traditional 2D records. However, it is uncertain whether clinicians are aware of the importance of these records for forensic purposes. The collection of antemortem records from clinical practices is critical to successful identification by forensic odontology. A survey across 71 dental practices in South Australia explored both the availability of 3D dental records and the level of awareness among practitioners regarding their significance in forensic investigations. While 3D dental records are frequently produced in dental settings, there is a notable lack of awareness among practitioners of their critical value in forensic contexts. Retention practices for all records were highly variable. Despite the production of 3D records, their potential remains underutilized due to gaps in knowledge of forensic applicability. The findings highlight a significant opportunity for enhancing forensic identification through better education and management of 3D dental records. Addressing this gap is essential for improving the efficiency of forensic odontology.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityHarry Perkins, Toby Hughes, Alex Forrest, Denice Higgins
dc.identifier.citationAustralian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2025; 57(3):322-339
dc.identifier.doi10.1080/00450618.2024.2359432
dc.identifier.issn0045-0618
dc.identifier.issn1834-562X
dc.identifier.orcidPerkins, H. [0000-0003-4212-9745]
dc.identifier.orcidHughes, T. [0000-0001-8668-7744]
dc.identifier.orcidHiggins, D. [0000-0001-7780-243X]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/142808
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherTaylor and Francis Group
dc.rights© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1080/00450618.2024.2359432
dc.subjectAntemortem; Australian; dental; forensic odontology; private dental practices; records
dc.title3D dental records in Australian dental practise - a hidden gold mine for forensic identification
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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