Dento-maxillo-facial radiology as an aid to human identification

Analysis of some anatomical structures of the face using radiographs is fundamental for human identification. The position of the postmortem skull relative to the radiographic machine and the film, as well as the exposure time, are the greatest problems found by the forensic dentist. In view of this fact, some recognised radiographic techniques that are used in vivo must be adapted. This paper shows that simple devices can make the process easier and that variation of kVp or exposure time in different situations may increase the quality of the radiographs.