Abstract: An identification system and method by which an electronic identification transponder is attached to a dental structure within the oral cavity of a human to provide a unique personalized identification system for rapid, secure access to clinically-relevant individual-authorized emergency medical and health information records from a secure database. The transponder is adapted to be interrogated by, to be written to, and to communicate with a reader unit, and the transponder and the reader unit are adapted to communicate over a distance limited to less than ten centimeters.

Abstract: A method for identifying individuals. The method entails identifying a human with an electronic identification transponder that can be interrogated by and communicate with a separate reader unit while the transponder is implanted in a surface region of a dental structure, namely, a mammalian tooth, denture, or dental prosthesis. The reader unit is used to interrogate the transponder, read an identification number stored by the transponder, and read additional information from the transponder associated with the person in which the transponder is implanted.