NCJ Number
195923
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 47 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2002 Pages: 536-538
Date Published
2002
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article reports on a comparison of two computer programs used to identify individuals based on their antemortem and postmortem dental records.
Abstract
The author explains that disasters often cause the need for identification of victims based on their dental records. There are currently two main computer programs that are utilized to this end: CAPMI4 and WinID2. The purpose of this study was to compare these two programs with respect to the accuracy and precision with which identification of 100 simulated victims and 105 simulated postmortem fragments was made. This study also compared three dental data sets within WinID2 to determine which was most successful at suggesting matches. Actual dental records of 100 individuals were utilized to create the 100 simulated antemortem records and 105 simulated postmortem fragments. Results showed that CAPMI4 correctly identified 48 matches while WinID2 correctly identified 71 matches. Within these comparisons, discussion was provided on which of the three dental sets within WinID2 was most successful at suggesting matches. In conclusion, the author notes that the results should be viewed with caution. Actual disasters provide different restorative patterns than the ones used in this study. The author suggests that if victims came from fluoridated areas, their dental restorations would be minimal, making CAPMI4 the better choice for victim identification. 1 Table, 8references