Forensics among key topics at dental congress

Forensics among key topics at dental congress
Sunday May 22, 2005
The Star Online
PETALING JAYA: Forensic dentistry is among key subjects to be highlighted at the 27th Asia Pacific Dental Congress, which will be held here for five days beginning Wednesday.
The biennial conference, themed Rediscover the Art of Comprehensive Oral Health Care, would be held at the Putra World Trade Centre and attended by some 1,500 dental professionals from 28 countries including aesthetic surgeons, dental nurses and orthodontists.
Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek is expected to launch the congress, which would also showcase dental technology in the Asia Pacific by over 250 companies including Italy, Germany, Japan and the United States.
Asia-Pacific Dental Federation president-elect Dr S. Nagarajan said forensic dentistry capabilities were currently limited and hampered by the lack of proper records but awareness of the importance of forensic dentistry had been enhanced by the regional tragedy.
ǃ?Forensic dentistry is a fast and cost-effective method of identifying victims of mass disasters and other accidents, and its efficacy in disaster recovery and relief operations.
ǃ?Together with maintenance of proper dental records, victim identification is simplified by eliminating the need for lengthier processes such as DNA analysis,ǃ? said Dr Nagarajan, who is also the organising committee chairman.
The recent spate of natural disasters, including the December tsunami tragedy, has prompted dental professionals to talk about forensic dentistry and the need to promote proper dental records.
Among the speakers are dental forensics expert Dr Peter Sahelangi who would be delivering a paper on the role of dentists in Indonesian Mass Disaster Victim Identification, Dr A.H. Valentin who will talk about augmentation techniques in implant surgery and Asst Prof Misaka Nakashima who would touch on gene therapy for dentin regeneration using bone proteins.
There would also be seminars for dental nurses and technicians on issues such as infection control, laser welding technology and construction of dental prosthesis while a Colgate symposium led by Prof Louis G DePaola would address the subject of Prevention: The Key to Maintaining Oral Health.