# How do officals get dental records for ID of bodies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 1, 2009, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-officals-get-dental-records-for-id-of-bodies/498335 "2009-06-01T08:44:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-officals-get-dental-records-for-id-of-bodies/498335/21 "2013-11-26T19:26:13Z")
It is a valid question that I’ve wondered about for a long time. My childhood dentist retired. My new dentist didn’t request my old records. They spent quite a bit of time mapping out all my fillings. XRays and so on. I could easily be identified if the cops inquired. But as others said. Somebody has to tell the cops who my dentist is. Theres still no central database? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-officals-get-dental-records-for-id-of-bodies/498335/22 "2013-11-26T19:28:17Z")
> [@Rachelann](#): > > [Carmelita Johnson, Missing Chicago Woman, Identified After More Than A Year In Morgue | HuffPost Chicago](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/07/carmelita-johnson-missing_n_872000.html) – IRL, it does happen. Albeit rare, creating such a database (nationally) would on average take an extra three minutes for a dental assistant to enter in and may bring much needed closure and validity to suffering family members. After two or three days, cases involving missing persons are not pursued thoroughly; even if the case remains open, say an unidentified body is found three months after the initial report - who’s connecting the dots? It should be a database. I have the utmost respect for law enforcement; I do feel though that such a system can help tremendously. Simply put: criminals’ fingerprints are standardly processed, dental records need be, too. They’re just as telling as a print. > > I personally believe that we lack a connection between “the missing’s” and “the john doe’s”. With technology, we should be able to come up with a link. Thoughts? > > I’d love to hear feedback. There is no need to have a massive database with dental records just on the off chance you are one of the few people that go missing. There is a central national website for missing persons. Across the country [NamUs](http://www.namus.gov/) is used to share information about missing persons. Dental records can be uploaded for missing persons and when unidentified bodies are found those files will be checked. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-officals-get-dental-records-for-id-of-bodies/498335/23 "2013-11-26T20:15:28Z")
There has been talk about a database, and it’s been started, to some extent: [http://www.fbi.gov/foia/privacy-impact-assessments/ndir](http://www.fbi.gov/foia/privacy-impact-assessments/ndir) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-officals-get-dental-records-for-id-of-bodies/498335/24 "2013-11-26T22:00:59Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > There has been talk about a database, and it’s been started, to some extent: > > [http://www.fbi.gov/foia/privacy-impact-assessments/ndir](http://www.fbi.gov/foia/privacy-impact-assessments/ndir) That’s not a database of random dental records. Like the information collected through NamUs that is a database of records of missing persons. The person is missing first then their records are uploaded to the database for possible matching with found remains. **Rachelann** was talking about everyone’s records being put into a database regardless of status. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-officals-get-dental-records-for-id-of-bodies/498335/25 "2013-11-27T00:00:29Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Well, it’s a massive HIPAA violation, for starters. > > (Just curious - what were you searching on to bring up a discussion that’s 4 years old?) no if the govt requires records for a database it is not a HIPAA violation ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2013, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-officals-get-dental-records-for-id-of-bodies/498335/26 "2013-11-27T00:19:02Z")
The records of everyone who’s ever been to a dentist, for reasons unrelated to healthcare or billing? I’m pretty darned sure that’s not allowed currently. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-officals-get-dental-records-for-id-of-bodies/498335/27 "2013-11-27T02:12:30Z")
I had a thread on this topic in [2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=587379&highlight=dental). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-officals-get-dental-records-for-id-of-bodies/498335.md?page=1)