Application of post-mortem computed tomography to forensic odontology

Advanced medical imaging is beginning to make inroads into the practice of forensic pathology and medicine, including the associated disciplines of odontology and anthropology. Computed tomography (CT) imaging, in particular, has become a useful tool in medico-legal death investigation in many forensic institutes, and has wide applications in the field of forensic odontology. This chapter will discuss the development of CT imaging, its migration into the realm of forensic practice, and current uses of this technology in the conduct of post-mortem examinations. Particular emphasis will be given to its application to odontology in the areas of age estimation, identification, trauma analysis and Disaster Victim Identification.