Background: Chronological age, as recorded by registration of birth date, is referred to throughout an individual's life. This information is relevant in medical and dental practice for evaluating developmental progress, for educational purposes, and in legal matters, particularly in the application of criminal law. The absence of birth date information raises particular concerns, and estimates of chronological age are often required. Standards of dental maturation may be used to estimate age, but they have been shown to be gender and population sensitive. Methods: The revised Demirjian 1 system of dental age estimation was applied to a sample of 615 South Australian children in order to assess its accuracy. Results:The results of our study have shown that the Demirjian system is of limited accuracy when used to estimate the age of South Australian children. Conclusions: Generation of new standard curves, specific to the Australian population, is indicated.

Forensic odontology is one of three primary identifiers designated by Interpol to identify victims of mass casualty events. Forensic odontology is involved in all five phases-Scene, Postmortem, Antemortem, Reconciliation and Debrief. Forward planning, adequate funding, international cooperation and standardization are essential to guarantee an effective response. A Standard Operation Procedure should be utilized to maximize quality, facilitate occupation and health issues, maintain security and form a structure to the relief program. Issues that must be considered in the management of the forensic odontology component of disaster victim identification are given in "Appendix 1". Each stage of the disaster, from initial notification to debrief, is analyzed and a comprehensive checklist of actions suggested.

Background Forensic odontologists provide an important service to the community by identifying unknown deceased people, allowing both legal outcomes and family closure. Non‐visual identification may be achieved by comparison of post‐mortem data with ante‐mortem dental records provided by oral health practitioners. Success is dependent largely on the accuracy and adequacy of data in the dental records. Methods An online self‐administered questionnaire evaluated Australian dentists’ knowledge and behaviours relevant to forensic odontology. Reported record keeping practices were assessed for detail, legibility, accessibility and retention. Behaviours were classified according to the frequency of response. Results Dentists reported overall reasonable awareness of the major applications of forensic odontology. Personal information and details of restorative treatment were recorded at high levels, while tooth anomalies, photography, additional patient details and denture marking were recorded inadequately. Legible tooth coding was reported at a high level, while other key legibility practices were recorded inadequately. Few of the behaviours related to retention or to maximize accessibility were recorded at a high level. Conclusions Australian dentists have high expectations of the forensic value of their dental records; however, many processes that would enhance the diagnostic, medico‐legal and forensic value of dental records are not routinely applied.

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Background: The comparison of dental morphology and restorative work for human identification has been well documented. This case study involved documentation of osseointegrated and clinically restored dental implants following cremation. Methods: The mandible and the maxilla were excised from a head containing implants and cremated. The remains were retrieved, digital and radiographic images were taken and elemental analysis undertaken. The brand of implants was identified utilizing web based search engines. A prosthodontist, known to commonly use this implant system, was approached to ascertain possibilities that matched the data given. Results: Following cremation the implants were identified and a prosthodontist was able to identify the deceased. Two implants in the maxilla had dehiscences on their buccal surfaces, which could not be detected by periapical radiographs. Conclusions: Dental implants osseointegrated and restored with a prosthetic superstructure were recognizable following severe incineration. It was possible to trace back the identity of the unknown victim to a prosthodontist. Bone dehiscences discovered in this study highlighted how two-dimensional radiographs may not reveal lack of bone support.

This study was undertaken to determine if dental implants can be radiographically differentiated by company type to aid forensic identification of the deceased. Recognition of dental implants on intraoral radiographic images was assessed in a blind study using a radiographic examination guide to highlight differences between dental implants. Inter- and intra-examiner comparisons were conducted and a computer program (Implant Recognition System) was evaluated to see whether it improved the accuracy of implant recognition. The study found that dental implants could be radiographically differentiated by company type. The Implant Recognition System in its current form was of little benefit for radiographic assessment of dental implants for forensic odontologists. Prior knowledge of implant types, with a McNemar's statistical value of 92.9, proved to be most significant in identification.

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