Importance of dental records for victim identification following the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster in Thailand.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the usefulness of dental records for victim identification following the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster in Thailand, and to evaluate the dental identification system in Thailand, the homeland of a large number of the victims.


METHODS
A descriptive study conducted at the Thai Tsunami Repatriation Centre in Phangnga Province one year after the tsunami hit Thailand on the 26th December 2004.


METHODS
The dental records of 3750 dead bodies and 3547 missing persons in the Thai Tsunami Victim Identification (TTVI) database, updated on 12th December 2005, were analysed.


RESULTS
The identification rate of missing persons with dental records was significantly higher than that of those without (P<0.01). Most victims identified by dental records were returned home within the first four months after the disaster. Dental records were the primary identifier in 46.2% of those identified. However, among the Thai citizens reported missing, only 2.0% used dental identification, 18.1% had dental charts and 0.8% had dental X-rays. In addition, only 7.4% of Thai dental records could be used for dental identification and one-third of Thai victims remained the majority of those unidentified.


CONCLUSIONS
Based on this study, the usefulness of dental records for victim identification in a disaster was confirmed. The dental identification system for nationals of Thailand could not work efficiently due to lack of dental records and insufficient recorded detail.
Petju
M
M
Dental Department, Phangnga Provincial Public Health Office, 649 Petchkasem Road, Muang District, Phangnga 82000, Thailand. smiledenta@yahoo.com
Suteerayongprasert
A
A
Thongpud
R
R
Hassiri
K
K
D003628:Database Management Systems; D003792:Dental Records; D004190:Disasters; D005553:Forensic Dentistry / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D019156:Indian Ocean; D007391:International Cooperation; D011861:Radiography, Dental; D013785:Thailand