Post-Mortem (PM) Record
Definition
The dental charting, radiographs, and descriptive notes taken from recovered human remains at the mortuary. The data set to be matched to AM records.
- Field
- Dental identification in mass disasters
- Content
- Dental charting, radiographs, descriptive notes
- Compared against
- Ante-mortem (AM) dental records
- Setting
- Mortuary examination
Common questions
Why are radiographs included alongside a written chart?+
A written chart records what is visually observable, but radiographs reveal restorations, root canal work and bone features not visible externally, giving points of comparison that survive even when soft tissue or crown structure has been damaged.
What happens when no matching ante-mortem record can be found?+
The PM record is retained and the case remains open for identification; investigators may broaden the search to other jurisdictions or missing-persons databases, or fall back on DNA or fingerprint comparison if those ante-mortem sources exist instead.
Related terms
- Ante-Mortem (AM) Record
- Any dental documentation from the person's life: radiographs, clinical charts, study models, photographs, and prosthetic records. These form the known standard against...
- Calcification Temperature Threshold
- The temperature at which dental enamel begins to structurally degrade. Enamel sustains fires up to approximately 200°C with minimal change; above 600-800°C...
- DVI (Disaster Victim Identification)
- The systematic multi-agency process for identifying victims of mass-casualty events, governed by the INTERPOL DVI Guide 2018 revision. Organises work into five...
- Primary Identification Method
- A method accepted by INTERPOL and most national standards as sufficient on its own to confirm identity: fingerprints, dental comparison, or DNA....
- Reconciliation
- The formal process of comparing an AM record against a PM record to determine whether they represent the same individual. A confirmed...