ABSTRACT
The mission of forensic odontology involves criminal, civil or family, and dental practice matters. The forensic odontologist is critical in making the identification of unknown remains. The odontological process is fast, accurate, and inexpensive compared to all other methods. For that reason alone, no medical examiner’s or coroner’s office should be without a forensic odontologist on staff or on call. More important, when it comes time to go to court and testify, all credentials should be in order for a qualified expert witness to assist the court in reaching an intelligent decision. That begins when the decision is made as to who will be called to properly gather and process the evidence and make the identification, as well as the presentation, of that evidence in court (see Chapter 14).
