AU - Jayaprakash, K AU - Thanuja, R AU - Arora, Aakash TI - Forensic odontology: a bird's eye view PT - ARTI DP - 2005 Jul 1 TA - Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry PG - 27-31 VI - 5 IP - 6 4099- https://journals.lww.com/aphd/pages/default.aspx/article.asp?issn=2319-5932;year=2005;volume=5;issue=6;spage=27;epage=31;aulast=Jayaprakash;type=0 4100- https://journals.lww.com/aphd/pages/default.aspx/article.asp?issn=2319-5932;year=2005;volume=5;issue=6;spage=27;epage=31;aulast=Jayaprakash AB - Forensic science often finds it inapt to deal with cases related to identification of various cases like child abuse; skeletonized, decomposed, burned or dismembered bodies. Thus it becomes the liability of the dentist to identify the victim who is, more often than not, mutilated beyond the point of recognition even by his own relatives. Dentist is also better equipped to identify the pattern of bite marks especially in cases of rape victims and child abuse. Furthermore increased terrorist activity has the potential to cause mass casualties. The number of victims often overwhelms the ability of local jurisdictions to identify the causalities in an accurate and timely fashion. Most identifications are usually made through the comparison of ante mortem dental records with post mortem radiographic and clinical findings. Also certain biological weapons produce oral manifestations earlier than corporeal ones. This necessitates understanding of forensic odontology.