ANALYSIS OF FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY QUESTIONS IN RECENT EXAMS FOR THE POSITION OF FORENSIC ODONTOLOGIST OR CRIMINAL EXPERT (DENTISTRY) IN THE BRAZILIAN FEDERATIVE UNITS

Abstract

Forensic examinations in the criminal field are the responsibility of Official Experts, who must be approved in a public examination. In the case of Dentistry, such inclusion may occur through the positions of Forensic Odontologist or Criminal Expert. This study aimed to select and analyze questions in the field of Forensic Anthropology from recent public examinations for the positions of Forensic Odontologist and Criminal Expert (area: Dentistry), in order to identify the most frequent topics. From the analysis of 22 examinations, a total of 905 specific knowledge questions were obtained, which 147 (16.24%) met the selection criteria: 123 directly related to Forensic Anthropology and 24 concerning its interfaces, resulting in an average of 6.68 questions per examination. Biological profile estimation (n=99) was the most recurrent topic, followed by cranial landmarks and craniometry (n=11), species differentiation (n=8), forensic archaeology (n=7), osteology and applied anatomy (n=7), bone pathologies (n=6), fractures and bone alterations (n=4), and mixed topics (n=4). The topic “biological profile estimation” was explored in 100% of the examinations, and most of these questions (76.77%) focused on estimation through craniomaxillofacial means, with dental analysis being present in 65.79%. Among the parameters of the biological profile addressed, age and sex were the most prominent. It is concluded that topics in Forensic Anthropology are routinely present in public competitive examinations for Forensic Odontologist and Criminal Expert (Dentistry), with a predominance of the biological profile estimation theme.