Dr. Henry J. Dondero
Department of Dental Hygiene

Areas of Expertise:

• Forensic Dentistry
• Forensic Pathology
• Forensic Odontology
• Pharmacology
• Oral Pathology

Dr. Dondero was instrumental in the identification of victims of the World Trade Center tragedy. As one of twenty-four Tour Commanders in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, NYC on the World Trade Center Dental ID team, Dr. Dondero was responsible for operations of each shift of the Dental ID Team and was one of the only individuals permitted to certify a dental identification.

He began his education and career in the army and was selected to attend Leadership Training School and the Military Police at Fort Gordon, Georgia. After two years of service as a criminal investigator, Dr. Dondero earned his B.S. in Biology from Pace College, his M.S. in Biology and his D.D.S. from New York University.  He continued his post-doctorate education through courses in Oral Pathology, Microscopic Pathology, Forensic Anthropology, and Forensic Pathology.  Dr. Dondero is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, American Society of Forensic Odontologists and the New York Society of Forensic Dentistry.

Dr. Dondero’s presentations and publications include:

• “A Comparison of the Quality of Color Produced by Photographic Film and Digital Imaging as a Function of Degrees Kelvin”  accepted for presentation in February 2006 at the 58th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in Seattle, Washington
•  “A Statistical Analysis of the Dental Radiographs Submitted as Ante-Mortem Records” presented February 2004 at the 56th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Forensic Sciences in Dallas, Texas.
• “A Multi-disciplinary Approach to a Mass Disaster Victim Identification” and “Three Cases of Single Radiograph Victim Identification” presented February, 2003 at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Forensic Sciences in Chicago, Illinois.
• Europe Against Oral Cancer – Nice, France – September 1995 – invited to be the representative from the United States to participate in a panel discussion on current developments in Oral Pathology emphasis on implications of pre-malignant lesions.

Dr. Dondero has been a professor at Farmingdale State since 1979. After 21 years of general practice as a dentist, he began teaching dental pathology and pharmacology at Farmingdale State and pursuing his interest in Forensic Dentistry.  He consults for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York City and in Nassau County.