DNA Profiling and forensic dentistry – A review of the recent concepts and trends

BackgroundTeeth are amongst the hardest structures of the human body which are resistant to adverse conditions such as incineration, immersion, trauma, mutilation, decomposition and hence, used in forensic investigations. It is also a valuable source of DNA as other parts of the body gets destroyed or degraded in mass disasters. The fast technological advancements in DNA research have revolutionized the field of forensic medicine and the present work was undertaken to provide an insight in to the recent concepts of DNA profiling in Forensic dentistry.MethodsArticles were identified by searches in PubMed and Embase electronic databases from 1980 through July 2010.ResultsDNA profiling provides an exact identification of an individual in mass disasters, identification of culprits in crime scene investigations and solving paternity issues as well. It also provides information regarding the physical characteristics, ethnicity and sex determination.ConclusionTeeth should be considered for DNA analysis as they are rich sources of quality DNA which can be utilised in all forensic investigations. From variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) to single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), the field of forensic DNA research has been true to the characteristics of any scientific process and it has never been static but represents a continuous evolution of technological development.