As the nation struggles to overcome the tragic events in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania, the families of missing persons face an agonizing wait for news on the fate of their loved ones.According to the American Dental Association, the nature of this disaster means there will be extensive identification problems. Dental forensics will play a critical role in identifying at least some of the victims of the three tragedies.
If victims cannot be identified visually or by paper identification such as a driver's license, they will be sent to the dental examiner's station, where the process of forensic dental identification begins.
ADA officials say teams of 20 or 30 dental members will work in four-hour shifts around the clock. Should dental identification prove inconclusive, the victims will then be moved to a station that uses DNA identification.
Dentistry is usually the primary method of identifying individuals who have been killed in plane crashes and bombings, the ADA says. Typically, about 80 percent of the positive identifications will be done based on dental records of the victims.
The reason dental identification is so accurate is because teeth are the hardest substance in the body. While teeth are susceptible to the natural forces of tooth decay, they cannot be destroyed by external forces such as fires, floods or explosions. Teeth don't decompose or change, the ADA says.
Technology, such as digital x-rays, forensic computer programs and federal databases, will likely assist the dentists who are working as part of a multi-agency team to identify the victims of this tragedy and bring closure to their loved ones.
Related website:
American Dental Association
[Contact: Leslee Williams, Fred Peterson ]
17-Sep-2001
