Burnt Dental Remains: A Review on Forensic Dental Evidence Management

Forensic odontology is the proper handling, examination, and evaluation of dental evidence, that is presented in the interest of law. The role of a forensic odontologist in human identification is crucial, especially in cases involving mass disasters, fire accidents, and sexual assaults. In such instances, teeth are the most stable structures and can provide important biological information about the deceased. However, extensive burning can make teeth fragile and dental structures may be destroyed or weakened during recovery and processing. After a thorough screening of potentially relevant articles through an electronic search of journals indexed in Google Scholar and PubMed databases, articles on how to handle, examine, and investigate charred teeth/dental remains were included. Correct procedures must be followed when handling, packaging, and transporting burnt teeth to avoid losing vital evidence and contamination. Analyzing such feeble and charred evidence for forensic purposes is challenging. This article provides a comprehensive review of burnt dental evidence (burnt teeth), emphasizing standard operating procedures and scientific methodology to use incinerated teeth for forensic interpretation. Keywords: Burnt dental evidence, forensic odontology, human identification, teeth, DNA, forensic investigation