title: Adjunctive role of dental restorations in personal identification of burnt victims.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fire remains one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality throughout the world and identification of a body from the fatal fire remains a daunting task. Several forensic cases involve interpretation of burnt human bodies from airline and automobile accidents, bombings and unlawful cremation. Fire is also involved in homicides, suicides, accidental death, arson and in attempts to destroy forensic evidence in criminal cases. Soft tissue destruction from fire can be so extensive that conventional methods of identification may be impossible. However, teeth survive even high temperatures due to their resistant composition and so, obviously, the restorative material housed in the teeth are even more secure and can yield valuable information in personal identification.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the usefulness of most common restorations in personal identification in burnt cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted on 40 extracted teeth which were divided into four groups (Group 1 - Unrestored teeth, Group 2 - Amalgam restored, Group 3 - Glass ionomer restored and Group 4 - Composite resin restored teeth. The effect of incineration at 200°C, 400°C, 600°C, 800°C, 1000°C for 15 min at each target temperature followed by subsequent cooling was studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Amalgam restoration was resistant and intact even at 1000°C, whereas GIC and composite restoration are identifiable till 600°C, the residual cavity preparation leaves a clue for narrowing down the spectrum of identification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Krishnadevaraya College of Dental Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Sameer Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Vandrangi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Krishnadevaraya College of Dental Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Radhika
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Krishnadevaraya College of Dental Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Paremala
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Krishnadevaraya College of Dental Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Reshma
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Krishnadevaraya College of Dental Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sudhakara
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Krishnadevaraya College of Dental Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: Sreelatha S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hosthor
keywords: Burn-out furnace; fire; personal identification; restorative material; stereomicroscope