12/05/2009
Abu Dhabi Police hosts British Expert in
Forensic Odontology (Dental Identification)
Under the patronage of HH Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, deputy Prime Minister, Minster of Interior, the Research and Security Studies Centre organized a lecture on Forensic Odontology.
Brigadier Mohammad Batty Al Rumaithi, Director General of Security Affairs and Airports was present during the lecture. The lecture was delivered by Professor Geoff Craig, Professor of Oral Pathology and Forensic Odontology, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom.
The lecture was attended by Colonel (Dr. and Expert) Ahmed Jumaa Al Hadad, Acting Director of Criminal Evidence Department and a number of officers and interested personalities. Dr. Said Shawqi, Forensic medicine advisor and Expert at Strategy and Performance Development Department at ADP introduced the lecturer and confirmed the keenness of HH the Minster on the promotion of forensic science in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in response to the country’s leadership directives.
The lecturer focused on the successes achieved in detecting the identity of victims of mass disasters and single cases. The dental identification system registered 100% success in many cases. HE quoted tsunami and other terrorist attacks as an example. But this system succeeds if the victim has had a dental record before his death, especially in airplane crashes and disasters. Dental print could help in age assessment and whether the dead bodies were for children or adults.
Professor Craig stressed the need for a specialized team in ADP to practice in this field. At the end of the lecture the lecturer confirmed that there is no dental information bank in UK. He urged that developed methods should be explored to establish dental records. Regular visits to dentists would help very much in detecting criminals.