Aspectos legais de exames de imagens digitais em odontologia

Abstract

Dental imaging exams have advanced technically and scientifically. Among their indications, they are essential tools in body identification through individualizing factors, providing relevant information about the craniofacial complex. Digital radiographs and computed tomography have been used in forensic operations. This study aims to verify the effectiveness of digital imaging exams in legal expertise and discuss their employment in Legal Dentistry. A literature review of the last twenty years was conducted using PubMed, Scielo, and Lilacs databases. Radiographs and tomographic exams provide crucial information in identification and possess legal value but require integrity guarantees through virtual environment security. Currently, digital exam use is not debated in courts, but reports indicate increased risks of improper data sharing, and no regulations address potential ethical issues arising from digital tool use in healthcare. Computed tomography is the most significant advancement in forensic practice, assisting in autopsies and expediting the process; in mass disasters, it serves as a triage tool. For charred or decomposed bodies, it facilitates identification through image overlay. It is concluded that dental digital imaging exams are significant allies in forensic sciences, particularly in legal identification processes.