Major Road Traffic Emergencies: The Role of Forensic Odontologist

Mass disasters may arise from natural or manmade circumstances. Over the past few decades, there has been a considerable evolution in trauma therapy, which has decreased mortality during the golden hour. There are still issues, though, and one of them is maxillofacial damage in a patient who has had several traumas. Because the craniofacial region is so close to the brain, cervical spine, and airway, severe damage to this area might make it more difficult to treat a trauma patient in the early stages. In the event of maxillofacial injuries, the standard strategies of airway, breathing and circulation (ABC) therapy are frequently adjusted or enhanced with other approaches. In an already challenging scenario, such alterations come with their own set of difficulties and traps. This chapter focuses on mass disasters that mainly arise from manmade circumstances. Here, we also want to increase awareness among readers of the recent developments in the good samaritan law to incentivize bystanders. This chapter includes Causes and Risk Factors, Trauma Management and Triage. In situations involving mass casualties, Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) is paramount which is dealt with in detail. A special section on the Role of Forensic Odontology highlights how dental evidence can be crucial in both trauma and disaster scenarios, aiding in identification and investigation. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the critical aspects of managing trauma cases, with a specific focus on forensic odontology.