Aplicação da análise dental na identificação humana

Abstract

Introduction: The use of the dental arch is important when medical or other methods of identification cannot be performed. The major application is the identification of bodies in disasters, such as aircraft crashes, carbonization or dismemberment, It can also be useful in cases of violent crimes. Objectives: This work aims to describe the application of dental analysis in the identification of individuals in in vivo and postmortem. Methodology: Bibliographic research was conducted in SCIELO and PUBMED databases, including materials published in Portuguese, Spanish and English. Results: Dental identification is important in post-mortem and in vivo cases. In post-mortem cases, dentition becomes an important factor due to its individuality and endurance. The process of dental identification includes a general analysis of the body and, then, the specific analysis of the dental aspects. In addition, dental documents are required, which may be in possession of either the family or dentist, for determining the identity of the suspected corpse. In in vivo cases, the analyzed bite marks are found mainly in cases of rape, homicide, child abuse, domestic violence, and abuse of the elderly. These are usually caused by aggression or self- defense. To compare the bite, bite marks and the suspect's dentition data are collected, using cameras and specific rulers. Finally, the main difficulties encountered in conducting these methods lie in the necessary expertise of the responsible professional, as well as the sensitivity of the evidence material, the human skin and the injured site. Conclusion: Despite the difference in reliability between the two methods of dental identification, the in vivo method has its importance. The more often that the method is applied, the more that its procedure will improve, increasing its credibility.