Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology AIIMS, Bhopal in collaboration with Department of Dentistry is organizing 5th edition of Forensic Update on September 15 and 16. This will be first composite, two-day 'Hands-on workshop on Forensic Odontology' organized by Forensic medicine persons in the country. It will enhance the knowledge of both Forensic medicine experts and forensic odontologists.
Renown Forensic odontologists across the country will be giving their deliberations. Dr Abraham Johnson Assistant Professor from National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, Dr Ashith Acharya, Professor & Head of Forensic Odontology from SDM College of Dental Science & Hospital, Dharwad, Dr. C Thamrai Selvan, Forensic Odontologist & Senior Forensic Assistant, Delhi Police Department from Delhi and Dr Hemlatha Pandey, Assistant Professor & Consultant Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital, Mumbai, Dr Jayashankar Pillai, Teaching Faculty, Dept. of Oral Pathology and Forensic Odontologist, Govt. Dental College & Hospital, Ahmedabad and Dr Pankaj Goel Professor and Head, Dentistry, AIIMS, Bhopal apart from Forensic medicine experts Dr. Arneet Arora. Prof & Head, Dr. Jayanthi Yadav Addl Prof. & Dr. Raghvendra Vidua Associate Prof. from Deptt of Forensic Medicine, AIIMS Bhopal will enrich the participants with the knowledge in the field of subspecialty 'Forensic Odontology' and its importance in identification, mass disaster and sexual assault and many more.
There has been an overwhelming response to the announcement of the workshop and around 60 participants from all over India will be participating in the event. The workshop will include 2 hours of hands-on component on both days to impart skills in bite mark analysis, 3D reconstruction , age estimation , comparison of antemortem & post mortem data and their report writing.
Peculiarities in teeth, inborn or acquired, help in age estimation and identification. Knowing peculiarities requires familiarity with the variables. Understanding of evidential and investigative value of the bite mark produced by the teeth is essential especially in case of sexual assault.
Injury to tooth, fracture or dislocation, amounts to grievous injury. Differentiating temporary from permanent teeth may be elementary for a forensic expert looking within the oral cavity of a live or a dead person, but identifying the type of tooth with certainty when receiving a single tooth is not common knowledge.
Teeth are harder than bone and more resistant than bones to decay and hence have taken attention and focus for how they have helped in confirmation of identity of a person. Teeth produce bite marks which are sometimes useful in identification of the person who produced the bite mark. Bite marks as an injury can include abrasion, bruise and lacerations.
Understanding of evidential and investigative value of the bite mark is essential. A Forensic expert then correlates the circumstantial evidence. Bite marks thus on shoulders, breasts, face may corroborate with sexual assault. Bite marks on forearms of accused or the perpetrator of crime may be a defence injury by the victim of sexual assault.