While clinical dentistry has seamlessly integrated the digital revolution, there is a gap in the technological capabilities of forensic dentistry.The study aimed to compare the superimposition accuracy of two different three-dimensional record formats, namely the intraoral scanner and cone beam computer tomography, in the context of forensic identification.The sample consisted of randomly selected adults (n=10) of both sexes aged between 20 and 50 years. Following the acquisition of data using the Medit i700 wireless scanner and the iCAT Tomograph with InVivo software, the records were analysed and compared through superimposition using Medit Scan Clinic software to assess the technical precision of anatomical identification details.The results obtained through the superimposition of dental and bone records following intra- and inter-observer analysis enabled an accurate comparison and identification of an individual. This method can differentiate between positive and negative matches, achieving exclusion results and offering a potential solution to overcoming the absence of a standardisation procedure in human identification.

Three-dimensional technology using personal data records has been explored for human identification. The present study aimed to explore two methodologies, photography and orofacial scanning, for assessing orofacial records in forensic scenarios, highlighting their impact on human identification. A pilot and quasi-experimental study was performed using Canon 5D-Full Frame equipment (Tokyo, Japan) and an i700 scanner (Medit, Lusobionic, Portugal) (Seoul, Republic of Korea) with Medit Scan for Clinics (MSC) and Smile Design software (V3.3.2). The sample included living patients (n = 10) and individuals in forensic cases (n = 10). The study was divided into two complementary phases: (i) data collection using 2D and 3D technologies and (ii) visual comparison by superimposition procedures, 3D dental images with 3D facial records (3D–3D), and 2D photography with screen printing of 3D facial records (2D-3S). Statistical analyses were performed using descriptive procedures (Likert scale) and the Mann–Whitney U test. The Mann–Whitney U test comparing the data (n = 220 records) from living individuals and those in forensic cases identified statistically significant differences in the performance of the photographic methods for evaluating intraoral mineralisation (p = 0.004), intraoral soft tissues (p = 0.016), intraoral distortion (p = 0.005) and the scan methods for intraoral extra devices (p = 0.003) and extraoral soft tissues (p = 0.005). A visual comparison (n = 40) allowed 3D–3D superimposition. Additionally, 2D-3S superimposition qualitatively identified the middle third of the face as the corporal area within the anatomical features required for successful surgery. In conclusion, the present study presented evidence-based data suggesting that the IO scan method, as an emergent technology, should be explored as a valuable tool in forensic facial identification in real-world scenarios.