Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Legal and Forensic Dentistry
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
Teaching staff
Introduction
This course provides students of degree in Dentistry the necessary basis in Legal and Forensic dentistry.
Pre-course requirements
No son obligatorios.
Objectives
-Promote the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes and professional behaviors that facilitate effective and appropriate interaction with patients, colleagues and other health professionals.
- Encourage the recognition and acceptance of the obligation to practice in the best interest of patients at all times and in accordance with the health legislation.
- Encourage the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes that promote learning throughout the life of an effective way to allow a proper professional development.
- Promote research in dentistry and constant training for the study of new techniques and improvements in the dental profession.
- Provide a clear idea of what legal and forensic dentistry in the whole of the legal aspects of the health sciences and the need and purpose of the subject.
- Provide the necessary knowledge to exercise properly the future dental profession according to legal rules.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 01 - Being aware of the essential elements of the dental profession, including the ethical principles and legal responsibilities it involves.
- 02 - Understanding how important these principles are in order to benefit patients, society and the profession, with particular attention being paid to professional secrecy.
- 08 - Knowing how to share information with other healthcare professionals and how to work as part of a team.
- 31 - Knowing about the National Healthcare System, as well as the basic aspects of healthcare legislation, clinical management and the correct use of healthcare resources, and understanding the importance of the role of the dentist in the field of Primary Healthcare
- 53 - Knowing the legislational and administrative ethical and deontological precepts which regulate the dental profession and its application in clinical management and practice, as well as the organisation, competences and functions of professional corporations. Filling in all types of medical and legal documents and records
- 55 - Recognising that the patient is the centre of attention and that all the interaction, including the prevention, diagnosis, planning and carrying out of the treatment and maintenance, and must support their best interests, always avoiding any type of discrimination and respecting confidentiality
- 56 - Identifying the signs and behaviour which suggest potential abuse
Learning outcomes of the subject
- 1.11 - Identify in the corpse the different structures, organs, apparatus and systems in of the human body
- 1.13 - Identify using image techniques, structures of different topographical regions of the human body
- 1.20 - Identify using image techniques, structures of different topographical regions of the head and neck
- 5.11 - Develop the skills of oral and written communication
Syllabus
INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL AND FORENSIC DENTISTRY.
-Concept and definition.
-Importance and objectives.
-Classification.
-History and current situation.
Thanatology
-Concept of death.
-Diagnosis of certain death.
-Type of death.
-Cadaveric phenomena.
-Destroyers of the corpse and conservative processes.
-Conservative natural processes of the body.
-Conservative artificial processes of the body.
-Thanatological medicolegal problems.
-Autopsy.
-Legal and clinical autopsy.
-Autopsy techniques.
-Odontostomatological autopsy: indications, techniques.
-Extraction of maxillary and skeletonization.
FORENSIC PATHOLOGY
-Fatal injuries.
-Non-fatal injuries.
-Type of violent deaths.
-Suffocation.
-Stab injuries.
-Firearm injuries. Explosions.
-Carbonized injuries.
-Lesions by physical and chemical agents.
-Traffic accidents.
-Medico-legal problems in major disasters.
-Role of the forensic dentist.
-Standards to fill dental INTERPOL formularies.
4 CRIMINOLOGY
-Definition.
-Objectives.
-History.
-Identification. Methods.
-Comparative and Reconstructive identification.
-Importance of the dentistry in identifying.
-Methodology in research on living beings, skeletons and recent corpses.
-Soft tissue on identification.
5. FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY
-Laboratory identification.
Study of DNA identification.
6 BITES
-Properties.
-Registration.
-Taking of impressions.
-Histology.
-Antemortem and postmortem diagnosis.
7. DENTAL LAW.
-The examination in dentistry.
-The dentist as an expert.
-Expertise in criminal, civil, labour.
-Professional liability. Concept.
-Criminal and civil responsibility of the dentist.
-Major circumstances of responsibility.
-Types of malpractice.
-Negligence and recklessness.
-Legal and medical assessment.
-More frequent dental claims.
-Requirements for the practice of dentistry.
-Medical history.
-The prescription in dentistry.
-Legal documents.
-Rights of the patient.
-Professional secret.
-Informed approbation.
-Sanitary legislation of interest in dentistry.
8. EVALUATION OF THE DENTAL DAMAGE.
-Crime of injury.
-Prognosis of injuries.
-Classification of the lesions.
-Bodily injury and evaluation in dentistry.
-Scales used in the valuation of the dental damage. Methodology and training activities.
Bibliography and resources
Gisbert-Calabuig JA, Villanueva E. Legal Medicine and toxicology. 6th ed. Barcelona: Masson, 2004.
Herschaft EE, Alder, Ord DK, Rawson RD, Smith is. Manual of forensic odontology (4th ed.). New York: ASFO (American Society of Forensic Odontology), 2007.
Mosby. Dictionary of dentistry. 2nd ed. Barcelona: Elsevier-Mosby, 2009.
Moya-Pueyo V, Roldan-garrido B, Heterosis JA. Legal and forensic dentistry. Barcelona: Masson, 1994.
Prahlow JA, Byard RW. Atlas of forensic pathology. New York: Springer, 2012.
Correa-Ramirez A.I. forensic identification. Mexico: Trillas. 1990.
Evaluation period
- E1 16/01/2025 A02 18:00h
- E1 16/01/2025 A01 18:00h
- E1 16/01/2025 A03 18:00h
- R1 20/01/2025 A03 13:00h