Radiofrequency Identification Technology and Its Potential Applications in Dentistry: A Review

Abstract

In this era of globalization, despite leaps in modern technology, medical breakthroughs and the geographical changes that the last century has brought, crime still persists in all aspects of our lives. Dentistry has much to offer law enforcement in the detection and solution of crime or in civil proceedings. Worldwide, dentists qualified in forensic science are giving expert opinion in cases related to human identification, bitemark analysis, craniofacial trauma and malpractice. Identification of deceased individuals is always a difficult job. Forensic identification using odontology is based on the comparison of antemortem and post mortem dental records. Unsolved cases are mostly due to insufficient antemortem or post mortem data. In such circumstances forensic workers mostly have to rely on time and money consuming DNA identification procedures. In order to avoid these difficult and lengthy identification procedures one could think of incorporating radio frequency identification (RFID) tags into the strongest and most protected human body part: the tooth. In case of absence of teeth, it can be incorporated into dentures also. This article aims to review the role of dentists in person identification in scenes of crime and mass disaster and how new technologies like RFID tags can be of help to them.