Sex determination from tooth pulp deoxyribonucleic acid using polymerase chain reaction

INTRODUCTION: In this fast era of numerous unwanted disasters and because of the severely devastated and degenerated body remains, personal identification of unknown remains has become the most difficult and challenging task. In such instances, dental pulp plays a vital role in identification through deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). AIM: The aim of the study is to determine sex from tooth pulp tissues by DNA analysis using polymerase chain reaction amplification method under different environmental conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The human extracted teeth were exposed to different conditions such as heat, soil, and open environment. The DNA was extracted from all these teeth including freshly extracted teeth, then quantified, and further amplified with male and female primers. RESULTS: Quantity of DNA content achieved ranged from 5.21 to 62.87 ng/μl. The accuracy in determining sex from pulp DNA ranged from 92% to 100% in the study groups, except from the teeth exposed to uncontrolled heat, as the pulp tissue was burnt completely. The intergroup analysis was statistically highly significant (P < 0.001). Gender determination using the quantity of DNA was found to be nonsignificant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The dental pulp is the reliable source for sex determination in the humid or dry environment compared to uncontrolled heat.