TEETH AS A SOURCE OF DNA FOR FORENSIC INVESTIGATION - A REVIEW

Teeth are one of the most resilient structures in the human body, with respect to incineration, immersion, trauma, mutilation, and decomposition, and thus, are used in forensic investigations. Hard tissues like Teeth apart from bones are rich sources of DNA. The calcified nature of bones and teeth helps to keep them preserved when other parts of the body are destroyed or degraded in mass disasters. Teeth are frequently chosen sources of DNA because of their special makeup and location within the jawbone, which offers more protection to DNA than bones. Teeth with larger pulp and multi-root contain many pulp cells and have more tooth cementum, compared to single-root teeth. Regardless of the sort of laboratory process adopted or the time since death, studies have shown that molars and premolars are suitable candidates for obtaining DNA profiles. The aim of this article is to collate all information regarding tools and methodologies pertaining to isolating DNA from tooth samples and highlighting its importance in forensic science. This article puts forth a literature review referring to the main studies on DNA from the tooth that involve the utilization of teeth for purposes like human identification, all the while making an overview of the evolution of this technology in the last years, highlighting the importance of techniques used to isolate and analyse DNA from teeth in forensic sciences.