VIRDENTOPSY: Virtual Dental Autopsy and Remote Forensic Odontology Evaluation
The identification of human remains relies on the comparison of post-mortem data, collected during the autopsy, with the ante-mortem data gathered from the missing persons’ reports. DNA, fingerprints, and dental data are considered primary identifiers and are usually collected during any human ident...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Dentistry Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/9/9/102 |
| _version_ | 1797519675808022528 |
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| author | Emilio Nuzzolese |
| author_facet | Emilio Nuzzolese |
| author_sort | Emilio Nuzzolese |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The identification of human remains relies on the comparison of post-mortem data, collected during the autopsy, with the ante-mortem data gathered from the missing persons’ reports. DNA, fingerprints, and dental data are considered primary identifiers and are usually collected during any human identification process. Post-mortem dental data should be collected and analyzed by forensic odontologists, as a dental autopsy must not be confused with a dental examination. The virdentopsy project was inaugurated in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to allow the correct process of human remains by collecting dental data from teeth and jaws, which was then transmitted to forensic odontologists remotely for an expert opinion to achieve a generic profile of the unidentified human remains. The post-mortem dental biography is paramount to narrow the search for compatible missing persons but requires knowledge and experience of forensic odontologists. The virdentopsy process uses radiographic imaging (periapical X-rays, CT scans, panoramics), 2D/3D photos and video recording, photogrammetry documentation, 3D scanning, and live streaming where possible. This registered term was created by merging the terms “virtual” and “dental autopsy” but with no commercial benefits. The proposed process combines research topics under the field of the human rights of the dead and humanitarian forensic odontology services. It should enhance and accelerate the human identification process of the deceased, age estimation of the living, analysis of panoramic X-ray images, and be an educational tool for remote live training in forensic odontology and anatomy of skulls. This paper presents an overview of the virdentopsy process in the field of forensic odontology as a remote consultation as well as an educational tool for undergraduates and postgraduates. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:46:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-24500913d59b4f05babf5442b124a3e8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2304-6767 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T07:46:10Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Dentistry Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-24500913d59b4f05babf5442b124a3e82023-11-22T12:37:13ZengMDPI AGDentistry Journal2304-67672021-09-019910210.3390/dj9090102VIRDENTOPSY: Virtual Dental Autopsy and Remote Forensic Odontology EvaluationEmilio Nuzzolese0Human Identification Laboratory, Section of Legal Medicine, University of Turin, 10124 Torino, ItalyThe identification of human remains relies on the comparison of post-mortem data, collected during the autopsy, with the ante-mortem data gathered from the missing persons’ reports. DNA, fingerprints, and dental data are considered primary identifiers and are usually collected during any human identification process. Post-mortem dental data should be collected and analyzed by forensic odontologists, as a dental autopsy must not be confused with a dental examination. The virdentopsy project was inaugurated in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to allow the correct process of human remains by collecting dental data from teeth and jaws, which was then transmitted to forensic odontologists remotely for an expert opinion to achieve a generic profile of the unidentified human remains. The post-mortem dental biography is paramount to narrow the search for compatible missing persons but requires knowledge and experience of forensic odontologists. The virdentopsy process uses radiographic imaging (periapical X-rays, CT scans, panoramics), 2D/3D photos and video recording, photogrammetry documentation, 3D scanning, and live streaming where possible. This registered term was created by merging the terms “virtual” and “dental autopsy” but with no commercial benefits. The proposed process combines research topics under the field of the human rights of the dead and humanitarian forensic odontology services. It should enhance and accelerate the human identification process of the deceased, age estimation of the living, analysis of panoramic X-ray images, and be an educational tool for remote live training in forensic odontology and anatomy of skulls. This paper presents an overview of the virdentopsy process in the field of forensic odontology as a remote consultation as well as an educational tool for undergraduates and postgraduates.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/9/9/102virdentopsyvirtual dental autopsyautopsy imaginghuman identificationdental autopsyhumanitarian forensic odontology |
| spellingShingle | Emilio Nuzzolese VIRDENTOPSY: Virtual Dental Autopsy and Remote Forensic Odontology Evaluation Dentistry Journal virdentopsy virtual dental autopsy autopsy imaging human identification dental autopsy humanitarian forensic odontology |
| title | VIRDENTOPSY: Virtual Dental Autopsy and Remote Forensic Odontology Evaluation |
| title_full | VIRDENTOPSY: Virtual Dental Autopsy and Remote Forensic Odontology Evaluation |
| title_fullStr | VIRDENTOPSY: Virtual Dental Autopsy and Remote Forensic Odontology Evaluation |
| title_full_unstemmed | VIRDENTOPSY: Virtual Dental Autopsy and Remote Forensic Odontology Evaluation |
| title_short | VIRDENTOPSY: Virtual Dental Autopsy and Remote Forensic Odontology Evaluation |
| title_sort | virdentopsy virtual dental autopsy and remote forensic odontology evaluation |
| topic | virdentopsy virtual dental autopsy autopsy imaging human identification dental autopsy humanitarian forensic odontology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6767/9/9/102 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT emilionuzzolese virdentopsyvirtualdentalautopsyandremoteforensicodontologyevaluation |