ABFO Guidelines, Standards and Policies

 

Guidelines Available:

    • Development of a Dental ID Team

    • Human Identification

    • Bitemarks  

    • Missing Person and Unidentified Body Cases

 

Guidelines:

    • Outline of procedures to help direct.

    • Suggested but not mandatory procedures.

    • Starting point; an aid.

    • Advice.

    • Not required, recommended.

    • Not enforceable, little imperative.

 

Standards:

    • A model to be followed; establishes protocol; a benchmark.

    • Strictly defined and followed by all based on its correctness.

    • A method of practice that has met the scrutiny of scientific study and verification.

    • Compulsory minimal level of practice.

    • More restrictive than guidelines; more enforceable.

    • Out of compliance and subject to sanction if not followed.

 

COMMENT: A failure to follow a standard may be defensible if it can be justified by proof that the standard is not worthy or that the departure is equivalent.

 

Policy:

    • A predetermined, selected and planned prescription of conduct.

    • Arbitrary but adopted way of proceeding.

    • Absolutely authoritarian by acclamation and can’t be changed without a majority or some supreme authority.

    • Those who do not comply are unsupported or lose affiliation with organization.

 

COMMENT: A "guideline" may state the optimum or ideal situation. It would outline the most desirable approach but, if not followed may be excusable. A "standard" might be less comprehensive but would state the minimal requirements of acceptability.  A "policy" would not necessarily have anything to do with correctness but would carry the maximum imperative to comply and is not appropriate for scientific investigation.