Awareness Regarding Dental Charting and Dental Records in Human Identification Amongst Dental Practitioners: A Questionnaire Survey

Abstract

Forensic odontology plays a significant role in victim identification among the disasters of multiple fatalities or various murders or burns. It requires adequate teeth remains after the accident and dental records availability to succeed. Purpose: To evaluate the Awareness level of the role of dental charting and dental records in human identification amongst Saudi dental practitioners. Study Design: Descriptive Cross sectional study. Methodology: Present study enrolled 200 participants involving both genders. A self-administered questionnaire related to role of charting dental anomalies in human identification was uploaded online. Informed written consent was taken. Unwilling participants were excluded. Tatistical Analysis: The responses were carried out using the “pivot tables” option in Microsoft Excel (2016). Results: A total of 200 participants completed the survey male participants 74 (37%) were less than female participants 126 (63%). Almost 70% of respondents think that maintaining dental records/files can be forensically or medico-legally important. Low of knowledge was evident in different aspects of forensic dentistry.54%think teeth can be used as a primary source of identification of an individual (like DNA or fingerprints) while 46% considered it not. Conclusion: This study concluded that there was poor awareness among the dental practitioners and the poor of awareness can lead to improper human identification. Key Words: Forensic Odontology, Awearness, Attitude and Dental Practices.