Identification through dental age estimation in skeletal remains of a child

Abstract

The analysis of skeletal remains opens the portal of scientific truth that enables the justice system to discover the facts and circumstances surrounding criminal acts. There is definite role of forensic odontology in identification and determination of dental age of skeletal remains (mandible), especially when visual identification and fingerprints cannot be used. Here, we present a case of a missing boy whose skeletal remains were recovered from a water tank. Skeleton remains were brought by police personal with an alleged history that the remains belong to a child who has been missing since 2 years. The skeletal bones after anthropological study, forensic odontology findings and DNA profiling, were confirmed to be of the missing child's. A skeletonized body recovered from water is not capable of being identified by visual means, and hence, other examinations i.e., forensic odontology and DNA profiling, substantiate the case.