2026 ABFO Workshops

The American Board of Forensic Odontology (ABFO) is conducting two workshops in February 2026. Registration is open for the Dental Identification and Patterned Injury/Bitemark Courses until September 1, 2025.

If interested in signing up for either course please go to the ABFO's website at www.abfo.org. Under the "Store" tab, select "Public Shop," and click on the workshop you would like to register for as described.

Course Descriptions

Dental Identification 

Date: Sunday, February 8, 2026, New Orleans, LA

Time: Lectures/Workshop: 8:00 am–5:00 pm (Room TBA)

Fee: Participants ONLY (Lectures and Workshop): US $850            

Workshop Objectives:

1. To provide hands-on experience of forensic dental examination techniques.
2. To present the importance of; history and basics through advanced techniques of forensic dental human identification.
3. To provide up to five of the required identification credits for ABFO board exam eligibility.​

The presentations will focus on forensic dental examination, comparison, and identification techniques. They will cover pertinent topics such as access to the oral structures, dental features useful in comparative dental identification (restorative and anatomic), missing and unidentified persons reports and databases, dental biological profiling, the role of the forensic dentist in mass fatality incident identification, and more.

Patterned Injury/Bitemark

Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026, New Orleans, LA

Time: 8:00 am–5:00 pm (Room TBA)

Fees:  Full Participants:​ US $500 part 1 (MUST PASS PART 1 TO GET TO PART 2); US $450 part 2
Observers: US $400

Workshop Objectives:

1. To evaluate the participants' knowledge and skills in forensic pattern injury analysis, techniques, and bitemark recognition.
2. To provide a learning experience for observers by observing participants' presentations.
3. To provide credit for two (2) of the bitemark cases required for ABFO Board exam eligibility if this practical is successfully completed by the participant.​

All practical attendees will have the opportunity to access on-line presentations that will focus on recognition of bitemark characteristics, evidence collection from both victim(s) and suspected biter(s), and comparison techniques. These on-line lectures will be made available after registration has closed. Among subjects covered will be pertinent topics such as threshold of evidentiary quality, photographic protocols useful in evidence documentation, guidelines for evidence collection from victim(s) and suspected biter(s), basic use of Adobe Photoshop, report writing, and more.