From Spectacle to Science: The Evolution of Forensic Dentistry 

Featuring: Kel Faddis, DDS

Thursday, October 29, 2026, 7 pm to 9 pm MST

Location: The University of Utah, School of Dentistry,  530 S. Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84108

Dinner and Registration: 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm; Presentation: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

CDE Hours Awarded: 2 Lecture Hours

Conflicts of Interest: No Conflicts

Education Methods:  Live Lecture                 

Required Experience: Dental Professional

AGD subject codes:  145

External Funding: N/A

COURSE INFORMATION & WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

This course explores the critical role of forensic odontology in human identification, tracing its evolution from historical methods to modern-day digital techniques. Through real-world case examples, participants will see how dental professionals help identify unknown individuals in situations involving trauma, fire, decomposition, and mass disasters. *Graphic photos will be shown.

The course emphasizes the practical importance of high-quality radiographs and comprehensive record-keeping, including dental charts, orthodontic models, panoramic imaging, and digital records. It also examines how documentation deficiencies can delay or compromise identification and affect legal outcomes.

Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how everyday dental records extend beyond clinical care and serve as vital evidence in legal proceedings, insurance claims, and estate resolution. The session will provide practical strategies to improve documentation quality and ensure that records are both clinically useful and legally defensible.

After completing this program, the dental professional should be able to:

• Explain the role of forensic odontology in human identification, including the historical development and modern applications of dental comparison in legal and disaster contexts.
• Differentiate between high- and low-quality dental records and radiographs and describe how documentation standards directly affect identification accuracy and case outcomes.
• Describe how dental records, radiographs, orthodontic models, and digital imaging contribute to legal processes, including identification, court testimony, insurance claims, and estate resolution.

Featured Speaker: Kel Faddis, DDS

Kel Faddis earned a bachelor’s degree in medical biology from the University of Utah before completing his dental education through the R.D.E.P. program and at Creighton University School of Dentistry in Omaha, Nebraska. Following dental school, he established a private dental practice in Sandy, Utah, where he practiced for more than 30 years before retiring.

Early in his career, Dr. Faddis developed a strong interest in Forensic Odontology and pursued extensive advanced training, ultimately becoming a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Since 1992, he has served as a consultant to the Utah State Medical Examiner’s Office and was appointed Chief Forensic Odontologist in 2001. As one of a very small number of forensic odontologists worldwide, he has participated in numerous major forensic investigations and mass fatality response efforts, including service on the forensic identification team following the World Trade Center disaster. He also serves as a faculty member in Utah’s Postdoctoral Forensic Fellowship Program and is a member of the Department of Homeland Security’s DMORT team.

Dr. Faddis has lectured nationally on forensic science and forensic odontology and has served as an expert witness in court proceedings on multiple occasions. In addition to his forensic work, he served on the dental team that provided care to athletes, coaches, and officials during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

His academic contributions included serving as Adjunct Faculty and Course Director for Dental Materials at both the R.D.E.P. program and the University of Utah School of Dentistry from 1998 to 2014. He also served as an Adjunct Professor at Oregon Health & Science University and participated in National Institutes of Health evidence-based research initiatives from 2005 to 2012.

Dr. Faddis has held numerous leadership positions in organized dentistry, including service as a Delegate to the Utah Dental Association and the American Dental Association, liaison to Utah’s dental schools, National Board Examiner, and member of the ADA Dental Accreditation team. In 2022, Governor Spencer Cox appointed him to the Board of Utah’s Division of Professional Licensing.

He is a Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and a member of Omicron Kappa Upsilon and several other professional organizations. Beyond his clinical and forensic work, Dr. Faddis is an inventor and author, holding a patent for “The Breath Taker” tongue cleaner and contributing to publications such as Forensic Dental Evidence – An Investigator’s Handbook and The Human Brand.

Dr. Faddis and his wife, Jennifer, are the parents of four children and the grandparents of six. Their family includes a son practicing dentistry in Las Vegas and another son who is currently completing psychiatric residency training in Oklahoma.

In addition to his professional career, Dr. Faddis has devoted significant time to community and church service over many years, serving in various leadership and teaching roles.

Disclosure: 

*Neither the speaker(s), planner(s), nor anyone in control of content for this live activity has any financial relationship with commercial products or services discussed.