Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026
06:49
A Standardized Approach to Extra-Oral and Intra-Oral Digital Photography
Published on: July 22, 2022
Maintaining dental records: Are we ready for forensic needs?
Madhusudan Astekar1, Swati Saawarn, Gayathri Ramesh
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, PAHER University, Pacific Dental College and Hospital, Debari, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Journal of Forensic Dental Sciences
|March 13, 2012
Summary
Most dentists in Rajasthan lack awareness and proper maintenance of dental records. This unpreparedness hinders their potential use in forensic and medicolegal identification cases.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Dentistry
- Dental Record Keeping
- Medicolegal Investigations
Background:
- Dental remains are crucial for identification in mass disasters and decomposed bodies.
- Proper dental record maintenance is legally mandated in many countries but lacks clarity and awareness in India.
- Dental records aid in criminal investigations and medicolegal cases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess dentists' awareness of dental record maintenance in Rajasthan.
- To evaluate the quality of dental records maintained by these practitioners.
- To determine the potential utility of these records in forensic and medicolegal contexts.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 100 dental practitioners in Rajasthan.
- Data were collected via telephonic interviews using a structured questionnaire.
- The questionnaire focused on the methods of dental record maintenance in regular practice.
Main Results:
- Only 38% of surveyed dentists demonstrated awareness and maintained dental records.
- A significant 62% of dentists did not maintain any dental records.
- The overall quality and maintenance of dental records were found to be poor.
Conclusions:
- Dentists in Rajasthan exhibit low awareness and poor practices regarding dental record maintenance.
- The current state of dental records renders them inadequate for forensic and medicolegal needs.
- Urgent improvements in dental record-keeping practices are necessary to meet potential identification demands.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Teeth
The formation of teeth, also known as odontogenesis, is a complex process that begins in utero, around the sixth week of embryonic development. There are three stages to this process: the bud stage, the cap stage, and the bell stage.
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
01:19Purpose of Health Records II
Health records serve various essential purposes in the healthcare system. Here are some key purposes:
01:11Purpose of Health Records I
The vital purpose of health records is to provide a complete and accurate account of a patient's medical history, including communication, diagnostic and therapeutic orders, care planning, research, and quality review.
Here's a breakdown of how health records serve these purposes:
Here's a breakdown of how health records serve these purposes:
01:18Guidelines and Strategies for Safe Computer Charting
The guidelines and strategies provided by the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) offer essential principles for ensuring safe and secure computer charting systems in healthcare settings. Let's break down each recommendation:
Maintain Confidentiality and Security:
Maintain Confidentiality and Security:
01:24Data Reporting and Recording
Reporting and recording are crucial in data documentation. The timely, thorough, and accurate documentation of facts is essential when recording patient data. Failure to record findings during an assessment or interpretation of a problem will result in loss of information and make the patient document unreliable. The reader is left with general impressions if the information is not specific. A recording is documenting data of the individual's health information in a traceable, secure, and...
01:21Tooth Anatomy
The human tooth enables us to eat a variety of foods, speak clearly, and even aid in shaping our faces. Teeth are composed of various elements that work together. Here's a detailed look at the anatomy of a human tooth.
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.