What is the role of a forensic odontologist in death investigations?

The role of a forensic odontologist in death investigations focuses primarily on identifying individuals through dental records. This specialty is crucial in cases where a body is decomposed, burned, or otherwise unrecognizable. Dental records, including X-rays, dental charts, and photographs, can provide unique identifying information due to the individuality of dental structures, restorations, and past dental work, allowing odontologists to match findings from the deceased to their dental history.

In comparison to other roles mentioned, analyzing fingerprints is typically done by forensic experts in fingerprint analysis, while handwriting analysis falls under the purview of document examiners. Assessing the cause of accidents is generally conducted by forensic pathologists or accident reconstruction experts. The expertise of the forensic odontologist is essential in the forensic context, particularly in the identification process, making this role vital in death investigations where visual identification is not possible.