Accuracy in establishing identity in edentulous individuals by means of intraoral radiographs.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the degree of accuracy in establishing identity in edentulous individuals by using occlusal "ante- and postmortem" radiographs of the maxilla. Twelve examiners with the following background; six dental radiologists, four other specialists in dentistry and two dental students were asked to combine the radiographs. The results showed that six of the 12 observers were able to correctly establish identity for all 20 cases. Five of these observers were dental radiologists and one of them was a prosthodontist. The other specialists made 3-8 identifications. The senior and the junior dental students made two and four incorrect identifications. The findings from this study emphasise the importance of having more than one forensic specialist signing the identification form. The results also indicate that examiners well trained in oral radiology are able to determine a positive identity even in cases where the teeth are not present.