Awareness of forensic odontology among Lebanese dentists: Implications for dental education and training

Forensic odontology is adapted worldwide as a primary method of identification in mass casualty incidents due to the durability of tooth enamel and dentin. They remain highly resistant to postmortem alterations caused by taphonomic and diagenetic processes. However, the awareness of forensic odontology among Lebanese dentists have received limited attention. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the practice of maintaining dental records and awareness on forensic odontology among Lebanese dentists. In this study, a total of 80 responses from Lebanese dentists were collected through a survey covering their background, prior training experience, dental documentation practice and awareness of forensic odontology. This study demonstrates that no significant linear relationship was observed between the scores in keeping dental records and the backgrounds and prior training of Lebanese dentists. Nonetheless, through multiple linear regression test, there were statistically significant linear relationships between the awareness on forensic odontology and two predictors, F (2, 77) = 17.690, p < 0.001, R² = 0.570. An increase of 0.957 in the awareness score was observed with participation in forensic odontology training, while an 0.574 score increase was expected when participating in legal training. Hence, training on the knowledge and implications of forensic odontology shall be initiated by the Lebanese government, supported by proper maintenance of dental records for the preparedness of any possible mass disasters which could lead to severe consequences.