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 Table of Contents  
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Year : 2015  |  Volume : 28  |  Issue : 4  |  Page : 991-992

Name the denture: forensic prosthodontics


Department of Prosthodontics, Post Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Pt B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India

Date of Submission15-Aug-2014
Date of Acceptance11-Mar-2015
Date of Web Publication12-Jan-2016

Correspondence Address:
Manu Rathee
Department of Prosthodontics, Post Graduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Pt B.D. Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana - 124 001
India
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Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/1110-2098.173699

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How to cite this article:
Rathee M, Yadav K, Bhoria M. Name the denture: forensic prosthodontics. Menoufia Med J 2015;28:991-2

How to cite this URL:
Rathee M, Yadav K, Bhoria M. Name the denture: forensic prosthodontics. Menoufia Med J [serial online] 2015 [cited 2024 Mar 28];28:991-2. Available from: http://www.mmj.eg.net/text.asp?2015/28/4/991/173699

Dental prosthesis is a nonliving entity, but it can reveal identity of its user. Denture marking is an accepted means of identifying prostheses and individuals in geriatric institutions and in cases of traumatic incidents. Acrylic prostheses offer convenient incorporation of markers and hence play pivotal role in forensic dentistry, as they constitute specific and personalized identification means.

Various methods of denture marking have been reported in the literature, which can broadly be categorized as surface methods and inclusion methods.

  1. Surface methods:
    1. The scribing or engraving method [1] involves engraving letters or numbers on the denture surface. Although easy and economical, it can cause food entrapment in the engraved area and hence bacterial infection and irritation.
    2. The embossing method [2] involves scratching contained information on the master cast, which results in stamped or embossed letters on the impression surface of dentures.
  2. Inclusion methods:
    1. Denture bar coding [3] consists of a machine-readable code of a series of bars and spaces printed in defined ratios and embedded in a denture. This method can survive temperatures above 600°C but requires expensive special equipments.
    2. The lenticular card method [4] utilizes a lenticular lens to produce images with an illusion of depth, morph, or the ability to change or move as the image is viewed from different angles. This method can store a large amount of information and shows no signs of deterioration.
    3. The ID band method [5] uses a stainless steel metal band containing an identifiable coding system representing patient details. It is placed in a shallow recess prepared in the denture base and covered with clear acrylic resin. This method can withstand deterioration by fire.
    4. The paper strip method [6] utilizes a strip of typed paper, which is laid on the impression surface of the denture and covered with clear resin before final closure of the denture flask.
    5. In the T bar method [7] , a T-shaped clear acrylic resin bar is constructed by cutting baseplate wax and then is processed and finished in clear acrylic resin. An identification-printed label is fixed against the flat section of the bar and surface polished to produce a clear window displaying the identification label.
    6. In laser etching [8] , copper vapor laser is used to etch the nonimpression surface of denture with patient's information. This method is expensive and requires specialized equipment and technicians to perform the procedure.
    7. Electronic microchips [9] measuring 5 × 5 × 0.6 mm etched with patient's information are incorporated in the prosthesis. This chip can withstand high temperatures, has excellent acid resistance, is radio-opaque, and bonds well with acrylic resin. The main disadvantage of the chip was that it could be inscribed only by the manufacturer and not by the dentist and required additional equipment to transfer details to a computer.
    8. In the photographic method [10] , patient's photograph is embedded in the denture and covered with clear acrylic resin. This is the easiest method of visual identification for the population with low literacy rate and diverse scripts.
    9. The radiofrequency identification system [11] consists of a data carrier, or tag, and an electronic hand-held reader that energizes the transponder by means of an electromagnetic field emitted through the reader's antenna. It then receives the coded signal returned by the transponder and converts it into readable data. They are preferred because of their small size (8.5 × 2.2 mm). A large amount of data can be stored in them.
    10. Lead foil [12] from a used intraoral radiographic film is cut and patient's details are engraved with a sharp pointed pen or instrument and embedded in the denture. This technique is radiographically evident.



  Conclusion Top


Various denture identification methods have been used, but the desirable method needs to be simple, practical, affordable, and universally acceptable. The importance of denture marking should be emphasized by law-enforcing authorities, making it mandatory. Patients may refuse to accept, but it is necessary to promote it among dentists and patients for making it a compulsory standard routine dental procedure for prosthesis and personal identification.


  Acknowledgements Top


Conflicts of interest

None declared.

 
  References Top

1.
Reeson MG. A simple and inexpensive inclusion technique for denture identification. J Prosthet Dent 2001; 86 :441-442.  Back to cited text no. 1
    
2.
Matsumura H, Shimoe S. Incorporation of a cast, embossed identification plate into a partial denture framework. J Prosthet Dent 2002; 88 :215-217.  Back to cited text no. 2
    
3.
Mahoorkar S, Jain A. Denture identification using unique identification authority of India barcode. J Forensic Dent Sci 2013; 5 :60-63.  Back to cited text no. 3
    
4.
Colvenkar SS. Lenticular card: a new method for denture identification. Indian J Dent Res 2010; 21 :112-114.  Back to cited text no. 4
    
5.
Stavrianos CH, Petalotis N, Metska M, Stavrianou I, Papadopoulos CH. The value of identification marking on dentures. Balk J Stom 2007; 11 :212-216.  Back to cited text no. 5
    
6.
Thomas CJ. The role of the denture in identification: a review. J Forensic Odontostomatol 1984; 2 :13-16.  Back to cited text no. 6
[PUBMED]    
7.
Ryan LD, Keller JB, Rogers DE, Schaeffer L. Clear acrylic resin T-bar used in denture identification. J Prosthet Dent 1993; 70 :189-190.  Back to cited text no. 7
    
8.
Ling BC, Nambiar P, Low KS, Lee CK. Copper vapour laser ID labelling on metal dentures and restorations. J Forensic Odontostomatol 2003; 21 :17-22.  Back to cited text no. 8
    
9.
Rajan M, Julian R. A new method of marking dentures using microchips. J Forensic Odontostomatol 2002; 20 :1-5.  Back to cited text no. 9
    
10.
Anehosur GV, Acharya AB, Nadiger RK. Usefulness of patient photograph as a marker for identifying denture-wearers in India. Gerodontology 2010; 27 :272-277.  Back to cited text no. 10
    
11.
Nuzzolese E, Marcario V, di Vella G. Incorporation of radio frequency identification tag in dentures to facilitate recognition and forensic human identification. Open Dent J 2010; 4 :33-36.  Back to cited text no. 11
    
12.
Kumar S, Banerjee S, Dwivedi H, Gupta T, Banerjee A. Personal identification using complete dentures. Int J Prosthodont Restor Dent 2011; 1 :132-135.  Back to cited text no. 12
    




 

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