Problems in mass-disaster dental identification: a retrospective review

J Forensic Sci. 1999 Jan;44(1):123-7.

Abstract

A wide variety of problems may prevent or hinder a dental-identification (ID) team in its efforts to identify mass casualties. Since these problems have been infrequently reported in a comprehensive manner, the authors identified and summarized these problems to increase the awareness of dental-ID team members and to prepare them for future mass-disaster missions. The authors analyzed 50 mass disasters--ten in which the authors as members of military dental ID teams played a major role and 40 from the literature--and summarized problems that they confronted.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Child
  • Dental Records
  • Dentition*
  • Disaster Planning
  • Disasters*
  • Female
  • Forensic Dentistry* / methods
  • Forms and Records Control
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Stress, Psychological