How can dental DNA contribute to identification?

• A. Only salivary DNA is usable from teeth.
• B. DNA from dental pulp or surrounding bone can provide individual genetic profiles when other identifiers are insufficient.
• C. Teeth contain no usable DNA.
• D. DNA analysis from teeth is always less reliable than skeletal DNA.

Answer: (D)

Teeth can protect genetic material very well, making dental DNA a valuable source for identification, especially when other tissues are degraded or unavailable. The most useful parts are the dental pulp inside the tooth, which often yields high-quality nuclear DNA, and the cementum and dentin, which can also preserve DNA. If the pulp isn’t accessible, DNA from the surrounding alveolar bone can still provide a genetic profile. Teeth tend to endure harsh conditions and can remain analyzable even when soft tissues have decayed, burned, or been exposed to the elements, so they’re frequently used to obtain STR profiles or mitochondrial DNA when nuclear DNA is limited. Saying dental DNA is always less reliable than skeletal DNA isn’t accurate; reliability depends on preservation and methods, and dental tissues can be as reliable or more reliable in certain challenging cases.