Which dental characteristic provides the most reliable means for identifying unknown human remains?

- The most reliable means for identifying unknown human remains is the unique patterns of dental restorations such as fillings and crowns because these are individually customized based on patient-specific dental work.
- Unlike natural tooth morphology or presence of caries, restorations provide distinctive shapes, materials, and locations which can be matched to dental records.
- Root canal morphology shows variation but lacks the absolute uniqueness and documentation compared to restorations.
- Therefore, dental restorations serve as a durable and distinctive forensic identifier.

Reference: Forensic Odontology, 2nd Edition, Edited by J. Richard Spitz, Volume 3, Chapter 7, Page 145-150