Dental Pulp: A Charismatic Role in DNA Fingerprinting

Abstract

The current advances in DNA fingerprinting have significantly revolutionized forensic odontology. DNA, the language of life, manages all cell activities, which gives unimaginable data related to health and disease. Although the medical and dental records of the patient are the gold standard in forensic identification, DNA fingerprinting has plodded along with conventional fingerprints and blooming in forensic science. Following natural mass calamities or non-natural catastrophes, when the other means of traditional identification become impossible, teeth serve as a rich source of DNA due to their resistance to physical and chemical insults. The recent techniques in the isolation of DNA, the ways of running a DNA fingerprint and their significance in identifying the truth from untruth are highlighted in the chapter.

Keywords: Dental pulp, DNA, DNA fingerprinting, DNA extraction, DNA analysis, Forensic dentistry, Human identification, Teeth.

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