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DNA Analysis in Forensic Odontology: Applications, Challenges, and Comparative Effectiveness With Morphological
Sreenitha S Hosthor1, Sreelatha S2, Shefali Sharma3
1Department of Forensic Odontology, Government Dental College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, IND.
Cureus
|June 22, 2026
Summary
DNA analysis significantly improves human identification in forensic odontology, especially for degraded remains. Combining DNA and morphological methods offers the most reliable identification, overcoming limitations of each approach.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Science
- Genetics
- Odontology
Background:
- Traditional forensic odontology relies on dental morphology for human identification due to tooth durability.
- DNA analysis offers enhanced reliability, particularly for decomposed, burned, or fragmented remains where morphological methods are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate DNA analysis applications in forensic odontology.
- To compare DNA analysis effectiveness against morphological methods.
- To identify current challenges and future directions in DNA-based forensic odontology.
Main Methods:
- Scoping review of literature from 2000-2025 across major scientific databases.
- Focus on DNA extraction from dental tissues, profiling techniques, and identification outcomes.
- Analysis of studies on short tandem repeat (STR) profiling, mitochondrial DNA, and next-generation sequencing (NGS).
Main Results:
- Dental pulp and dentin are reliable DNA sources with high success rates, even in adverse conditions.
- STR profiling is the gold standard; mitochondrial DNA and NGS improve degraded sample analysis.
- Morphological methods are faster and cheaper with available ante-mortem records, but DNA analysis excels in challenging cases like mass disasters.
Conclusions:
- DNA analysis is superior for difficult forensic identification scenarios.
- Limitations include degradation, contamination, cost, and infrastructure needs.
- An integrated approach combining morphological and molecular methods provides the most effective human identification strategy.
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