Dr. Ashith B. Acharya

Hi. I am Dr. Ashith Acharya, a forensic dentist based in Dharwad, India. I am a teacher, investigator and a global top-100 forensic researcher (as per findings of the renowned scientific publisher Elsevier).

Forensic dentistry, or forensic odontology, is a branch of dentistry which deals with cases of legal interest and which may have crime-related implications. The subject has been gaining more and more interest in India, although full-time education opportunities are still rare.

But several dental colleges across the country have now initiated exclusive departments in the speciality, beginning with SDM College of Dental Sciences & Hospital, Dharwad, Karnataka, in 2006. Other dental institutes are slowly but surely following suit.

Forensic dentistry per se is not new to India and it has been applied in several cases through the decades. So, a good foundation exists and the police are aware of the need to make use of teeth in certain legal aspects, for example, in age estimation — which is the principal application of the subject in the country. Apart from this, in my experience, sex assessment of skulls, bite mark investigation and dental trauma/disability are other spheres where dentists' opinion is sought. 

But a lot more can be done and more specialists and experts are needed in a country of about 1.4 billion to fully realise the potential of this speciality.

I am India's first qualified forensic dentist and currently based in SDM College of Dental Sciences & Hospital, Dharwad, Karnataka, serving as Professor and Head of the Department of Forensic Odontology

Through my website, I wish to give you more information about my profession and speciality