THE IMPORTANCE OF THE DENTIST IN INSTITUTES OF LEGAL MEDICINE: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

The objective of this study was to carry out a review of the narrative literature on the importance of the Dental Surgeon in IMLs, highlighting how their absence can imply in insufficiency of technical-scientific analysis and devaluation of available evidence. A survey of the articles available in the databases: SCIELO, BVS and PUBMED was carried out, using as keywords dentist in the IML; forensic dental expertise and forensic dentistry, preferably among those published from 2017 onwards. In addition to solid collaboration in cases of human identification, forensic examinations, physical integrity and age estimation, dental forensic expertise helps in the elucidation of cases of physical violence, such as murder, rape and child abuse, where skin bites are common. It is considered that the Forensic Dentist, working together with other forensic professionals at the Institutes of Legal Medicine, contributes to the elucidation of cases, making their knowledge available at the service of justice. His performance is fundamental in the forensic field, in view of the specific knowledge of Dentistry that enables him to intervene with greater speed and precision.