KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF DENTURE MARKING SYSTEMS AMONG NEPALESE DENTAL PRACTITIONERS WITH POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS IN HUMAN IDENTIFICATION.

Abstract

Background: Denture marking not only aids in the recovery of lost dentures, but it also aids in theidentification of the suspected deceased person. Many forensic experts have recommended thatidentity markers to be included in all dentures during their fabrication so that they can be used forforensic human identification in the event of a disaster.ObjectivesThe study aims to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of the dentur emarking system among dental practitioners of Nepal.MethodsA pre tested, self administered anonymous questionnaire consisting of 9 close endedquestions was mailed to the participants. A total of 133 responses were recorded.ResultsAccording to the findings, 54.9% of the participants were aware of the denture markingsystem. The majority of the participants felt that denture marking is a valuable procedure that isfrequently overlooked by Nepalese dentists. The majority of Nepalese dental professiona ls wereaware of the forensic use of denture marking systems and how to use them. They also agreed thatit should be included in undergraduate courses. While the majority of the participants disagreedthat denture marking is a costly and common technique w hose worth is recognized by the generalpublic.ConclusionsBased on the findings of this study, measures to raise awareness and updateknowledge and skills on denture marking among Nepalese dental practitioners should bedeveloped.