Another expert in the field, Emily Faircloth, Communications Officer for the Association of Forensic Radiographers based in the United Kingdom says there are three key methods for identification of the deceased; dental examinations, DNA and fingerprints. "In the event that DNA sampling and fingerprinting is problematic, as in the Asian Tsunami," says Faircloth, "dental examination is very important." She explained that dental radiography is very common in developed countries and most individuals have had a dental X-ray in their lifetime. "There are up to 32 teeth in the adult dentition, each tooth having five surfaces resulting in over five million variable combinations, hence the term 'dental fingerprint'," says Faircloth. "Post mortem identification using teeth is around 94% accurate."


As a qualified radiographer with over ten year's experience, Faircloth is a founding member of AFR. She reflects on experiences in practical forensic imaging from attending various deployments such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in Bosnia. "It involved imaging skeletal remains that were excavated from their mass graves in the hundreds and brought to a mortuary in Visiko," recalls Faircloth. She said that the primary objective was to identify as many individuals and to find out the circumstances of their death, providing evidence for the tribunal in The Hague. "Pertinent points during this - my first active deployment - was the demonstration under X-ray, indicative signs of torture and execution style deaths of not only men but women and children as well. This came as a sharp shock to my system, and I was so glad to have a strong and effective support network that worked closely together - never leaving anyone to feel isolated," says Faircloth.
Imaging Through Virtual Autopsy

For the past few years, virtual autopsies have been changing the way modern medicine studies the dead. By adapting the twin medical-imaging technologies of CT and MRI scans, a three-dimensional, high-resolution computer image of a corpse's internal organs can be viewed from any depth and any angle.

"The virtual autopsy is the one of the most extraordinary developments in the field of forensics since 1946, when child abuse could be determined using X-rays," says Dr. Brogdon. He also explains that virtual autopsies are a way to work around cultural taboos that may not approve of traditional autopsies.

Still, virtual autopsies are now used in many cases as a precursor to a real one. The Pentagon uses virtual autopsies to determine whether or not helmets and body armor are effective protection on soldiers who were killed during battles in Iraq and Afghanistan. Swedish and Swiss researchers are using virtual autopsies on murder victims and there has been a general spark of interest all over the world.

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