Original Article

Year : 2016 | Volume : 1 | Issue : 1 | Page : 17 - 20

To Assess the Knowledge and Attitude toward Forensic Odontology among Dentists in Chennai City

N Navya, James D Raj

From the Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Saveetha Dental College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Address for correspondence:

Ms. N Navya, E‐mail: navyaravee@gmail.com

Abstract

Aim:

To assess the knowledge and attitude toward forensic odontology dentists in Chennai City.

Objectives:

To evaluate knowledge about forensic odontology among general dental practitioners.

Materials and Methods:

A study was conducted among 200 general dental practitioners. A questionnaire was distributed among them.

Background:

Forensic odontology includes the proper handling, examination, and evaluation of evidence related to dental findings which can be used for personal identification. It is dependent on the detailed knowledge of the teeth and jaws which is only possessed by a dentist. The survey was conducted with the aim to assess the awareness of forensic odontology in Chennai.

Results:

Many of the general dental practitioners had a basic knowledge about forensic odontology, but only 27% knew about Indian Association of Forensic Odontology. Sixty‐nine percent of them were not confident about giving an opinion for a forensic case. Sixty‐three percent of them knew about cheiloscopy. Many of them did not know the importance of identifying child abuse as a dentist. Sixty‐nine percent of them said they would inform the parents if they identified a child abuse case. Nineteen percent of them did not maintain dental records and among the remaining only 30% maintained complete dental records. None of them had any formal training related to forensic odontology. Two percent of them only knew about the forensic courses available in India. Most of them felt that our country has very limited resources for forensic odontology.

Conclusion:

Forensic odontology has an important role in the recognition of person. Forensic odontology requires interdisciplinary knowledge of dental science. This survey shows that general dental practitioners in Chennai have inadequate knowledge and interest in forensic

odontology.

Key Words: Forensic awareness, forensic odontology, forensis

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

How to cite this article:

Navya N, Raj JD. To assess the knowledge and attitude toward forensic odontology among dentists in Chennai city. Int J Forensic Odontol 2016;1:17-20.