Recent advances in forensic odontology: An overview

Forensic odontology is a branch of forensic sciences that uses the skill of a dentist in personal identification during mass calamities, sexual assault, and child abuse to name a few. Forensic odontology is an evolving science and has a greater scope of development. Recent advances in the field of genetics and molecular biology have contributed to the rapid growth of forensic odontology. In case of a crime scene, forensic odontologists play a major role in investigating and interpreting dental evidence. Forensic odontologists utilize the knowledge of dentistry in bite mark analysis, fixation of identity in mass disasters, and age estimation. Thus, the duty and responsibility of forensic odontologists has increased in recent years. Therefore, practicing dentists and dental students should be made aware of the available newer technologies and its use in forensic dentistry. This article gives an overview of recent advances used in identification in forensic dentistry