Knowledge, awareness and practice of forensic odontology among the dentists of Punjab

Abstract

Introduction: Forensic odontology involves application of dental sciences in the identification of deceased individuals through comparison of ante-mortem and post-mortem records. Forensic odontology plays an important role in criminal, monetary disputes, marital, social, and burial and the identification of individuals missing for prolonged periods. Aim: To study knowledge, awareness, attitude, and practice of forensic odontology among the dentists of Punjab. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire based cross-sectional survey that included a total of 15 questions was conducted on 644 subjects of Punjab state which were further divided on the basis of their degree as undergraduate and postgraduate students, BDS and MDS dental practitioners. These were further categorized into urban and rural dentists. Results: In our study, the general awareness about forensic odontology is more among the undergraduates than postgraduates of Punjab. Overall, there is lack of adequate knowledge, awareness, and practice of forensic odontology among the dentists of Punjab. However, the practitioners did have a positive attitude toward the field and were keen to learn more about it. Conclusion: Conducted on 644 dentists of Punjab, this study reflects the current situation of Punjab in the field of forensic odontology. It also reveals significant lack of record maintenance, inadequate knowledge, poor attitude, and lack of practice prevailing among these study subjects of Punjab. This condition can be improved if necessary steps are taken to make forensic odontology a part of our course and need more exposure from practical point of view.