Oral Cavity-A Resilient Source for DNA Sampling

Dear Editor, DNA is a double-stranded structure present inside the nucleus that carries all the inherited genomic information. Dental tissues are excellent sources of DNA as they show resistance to chemical and physical conditions.¹ Dental enamel can withstand adverse conditions like humidity, microbial action, and high temperatures, thus preserving the enclosed DNA.² DNA can be obtained from odontoblastic processes of dentin, cellular cementum, neurovascular tissues of the pulp, radicular canals, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone.³ A high concentration of DNA is found in the root body, then in the root tip, coronal body, and coronal tip. The pulp is rich in vascularity, which makes it a rich source of DNA. Cementocytes from cellular cementum are one of the DNA sources that are present within the extracellular matrix.⁴ In addition, the odontoblastic cell processes are rich in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).