Collection Overview

Scientific Reports has launched a Guest-Edited Collection on Forensic dentistry

Dentistry can play an important role in the anthropological and forensic medical sciences, including in the identification of human remains, age/sex determination, and facial reconstruction. However, there remain controversies, such as the reliability of bite mark evidence, and challenges, such as inconsistent medical records, that limit its broad application. Evidence-based standards and strategies, particularly those that can be implemented in developing countries, are necessary for forensic dentistry to be fully effective. 

This will be a Collection of original research papers and will be open for submissions from all authors – on the condition that the manuscripts fall within the scope of the Collection and of Scientific Reports more generally. We are welcoming submissions until 26^th March 2026.

Why is this Collection important? 

“Forensic dentistry provides a bridge between clinical practice and the law, serving both the living and the deceased. It extends beyond simple identification puzzles such as matching antemortem and postmortem data, to vital areas such as dental age estimation for legal purposes. The field's true impact relies on robust, evidence-based research to ensure our conclusions in legal claims are sound. This Collection will support this scientific rigor, offering an opportunity to build a solid foundation of applicable, transferable methodologies and further establish forensic dentistry as a key sub-specialty within dentistry. ” - Rizky Merdietio Boedi 

Why submit to a Collection? 

Collections like this one help promote high-quality science. They are led by Guest Editors, who are experts in their fields, and In-House Editors and are supported by a dedicated team of Commissioning Editors and Managing Editors at Springer Nature. Collection manuscripts typically see higher citations, downloads, and Altmetric scores, and provide a one-stop-shop on a cutting-edge topic of interest.

Who is involved? 

Guest Editors:

• Nikolaos Angelakopoulos: University of Bern, Switzerland
• Gabriel Fonseca: Universidad de La Frontera, Chile
• Ademir Franco: Faculdade São Leopoldo Mandic, Brazil
• Rizky Merdietio Boedi: Universitas Diponegoro, Indonesia

Internal Team:

• In-House Editor: Rachel Toth, Scientific Reports, USA
• Commissioning Editor: Jenny Knowles, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK
• Managing Editor: Aliya Anwar, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK

How can I submit my paper? 

Visit the Collection Page to find out more about this Collection and how to submit your article.