University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine (Department of Dental Anthropology) (Chair of Forensic Dentistry)
Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline
BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE Dental Medicine Morphology of the Dental Tissue System
Description (english)
"The International Course of Dental Identification of Human Remains from Mass Graves" took place from April 21st until April 23rd 2007. The course was organized by Croatian Association of Forensic Stomatologists (CAFS) and School of Dental Medicine University of Zagreb and was held in the amazing Museum of the Department of Forensic Medicine. About 30 participants from Sweden, Croatia and France attended the course. Although most of them were dentists, there were also some forensic pathologists, anthropologists and physicians. The meeting started on Saturday afternoon with Zagreb sight-seeing and tasting traditional Croatian foods and drinks. Sunday and Monday were working days covering all disciplines of forensic dentistry by international and local speakers: Håkan Mörnstad, Aina Teivens, Hrvoje Brkic, Davor Strinovic, Vedrana Petrovecki and Mario Šlaus. The participants were introduced with dental and non-dental methods of personal identification, organization of the identification process in mass disasters and all other procedures accompanying the work of forensic dentist. Many instructive and interesting examples of forensic work were presented including the tsunami disaster and Croatian Homeland war. There was also an opportunity to visit the DNA laboratory of the Department of Forensic Medicine and the laboratory for identification of victims of the Homeland war. Although the work of forensic dentists is mostly connected with unhappiness and sadness we had a great time, professionally and socially. Finally we want to thank everybody who participated in this course. It is always an amazing experience to meet new colleagues and new friends, but especially in a specific professional and scientific field like forensic dentistry.