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Undergraduate dental students and their potential role in disaster victim identification procedures: A scoping review
Luis Salazar-Valenzuela1,2, Sandra López-Lázaro1,2,3, José Esteban Aguayo-Cádiz4
1Programa de Magíster en Odontología, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile.
Background:
A mass fatality incident is an unexpected event that can cause the death of many people, which has motivated careful analysis and development of appropriate strategies for planning and response with all available resources. As these events involve multiple victims, their identities must be confirmed using the highest possible quality standards. Forensic Odontology (FO) has proven to be a scientific resource for disaster victim identification (DVI) procedures; however, it is highly dependent on the proper management not only of material resources but also of human resources. Chile is a country recognised as prone to natural disasters, but an insufficient number of forensic odontologists has been reported. The aim of the study was to review the literature on a dental undergraduate (UG) student's potential value in a DVI process.
Methodology:
A scoping review was performed using a specific search strategy in PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, SciELO and EBSCO databases.
Results:
The search identified 27 articles in which the basic dental degree, the necessary training and the need for human resources are variables considered in different priorities by those articles.
Discussion:
It is vital to assess the local needs of Chile based on its UGs, considering that FO is an underestimated resource that should be included early on in dental curriculums. Furthermore, it should align with public policies to ensure viability and inclusion in standardised protocols.
Conclusion:
Although there is "potential" usage of UG dental students in DVI is not ideal, circumstances will dictate their use. The better trained they are as students, the more valuable their "potential" contribution will be.
