Positive identification of victims by comparison of ante-mortem and post-mortem dental radiographs.

Radiography of jaws and teeth can provide one of the most reliable sources of information for comparison between ante-mortem and post-mortem conditions leading to definitive evidence in cases of identification. Teeth and dental restorations are resistant to destruction by fire and are therefore very important in identification. The forensic odontologist utilizes dental radiographs taken of the victim before death and compares them to dental data from the remains to assist the identification. Three cases described in this paper illustrate the procedures and techniques of identification using ante-mortem and post-mortem radiographs.