dna exclusive: Mumbai gets its first forensic odontology expert

With the KEM Hospital, Parel, appointing the city’s first forensic odontology expert in its forensic medicine department, conviction rates in sexual assault and child abuse cases are set to rise.

According to the Indian Association of Forensic Odontology, the country has only four qualified forensic odontology experts, including Dr Hemalata Pandey who has now been appointed at the KEM Hospital. Along with forensic odontology, Dr Pandey has also done a one-year course in forensic human identification from London.

A forensic odontology expert had played a key role in proving all the accused guilty in the December 16 gang-rape case in Delhi. The expert had to be called from Karnataka because at that time even the national capital did not have a specialist.

Confirming the appointment at KEM Hospital, Dr SJ Nagda, director of all major civic-run hospitals in Mumbai, said, “We plan to start a one-year fellowship programme on forensic odontology in Nair Dental College with the help of Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. Dr Pandey will conduct lectures and train postgraduate students, apart from strengthening our forensic medicine department.”

Dr Nagda added that though the post-graduation curriculum had oral pathology and oral medicine at the college that covered parts of forensic odontology, it was necessary to have a dedicated course.

Dr Harish Pathak, head of forensic medicine department at KEM Hospital, said, “In mass disasters or criminal cases, it is the tooth which assists in identification.
Dr Pandey’s inclusion in our department has strengthened our forensic team. An important work aspect of a forensic odontologist is to examine bite marks.”

The tooth is one of the strongest parts of the human body. While the rest of the body can burn at 600 degrees Celsius, teeth can be destroyed at nothing less than 1,000 degrees Celsius.

Dr Ashith Acharya, secretary of the Indian Association of Forensic Odontology said, “Forensic dentist experts can identify the age, sex and sometimes identification of a person within minutes. In comparison, DNA tests take a few days. It (appointment of Dr Pandey) is a welcome step.”

What’s it all about
Forensic odontology, or forensic dentistry, is a branch of forensic science which deals with examination of any dental evidence needed to establish a crime in court.

Forensic dentists are responsible for
Identification of human remains

Identification of victims in mass fatalities

Assessment of bite mark injuries

Assessment of abuse, as bite marks are very common in such cases

Age estimation