NCJ Number
200470
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 48 Issue: 3 Dated: May 2003 Pages: 622-625
Date Published
May 2003
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This study sought to determine which regions of the tooth contain quantifiable DNA, whether all regions contain similar yields of DNA, and whether there is enough DNA in all regions to justify DNA extraction from a found tooth fragment.
Abstract
A total of 250 recently extracted permanent human teeth were collected from the offices of oral and maxillofacial surgeons and general dental practitioners in British Columbia (Canada). The teeth were individually decontaminated and sectioned into four anatomical regions with a diamond-bladed saw. The sections were termed crown tip, crown body, root body, and root tip. The weight of each tooth section was recorded. DNA quantification was performed by using the AluQuant Human DNA Quantitation System according to the manufacturer's protocol. Findings show that the root body is the region with the greatest yield of DNA, followed by the crown body, the root tip, and the crown tip. Further, the study found a broad person-to-person variation in DNA yield from the different tooth regions, suggesting that the number of DNA-containing cells in teeth differ significantly among people. Under environmental conditions that compromise the amount of DNA, it is critical that the tooth with the greatest likelihood of yielding the highest quantity of DNA be used. 1 figure, 2 tables, and 10 references