Advances in Nondestructive DNA Extraction from Teeth for Human Identification

This review synthesizes advances in nondestructive DNA extraction from teeth, emphasizing their importance in forensics and archaeogenetics. Because of their mineralized structure and resistance to diagenesis, teeth remain vital for human identification when other tissues are unavailable or degraded. Modern protocols targeting dental cementum have shown high success rates in retrieving nuclear DNA while maintaining specimen integrity, supporting ethical standards, and enabling additional morphological and isotopic analyses. Nondestructive extraction methods produce DNA yields comparable to—or in some archaeological cases, greater than—those of traditional destructive approaches, while ensuring strict contamination control and minimal physical impact. Cementum is a reliable source of DNA in aged and degraded teeth, although the petrous part of the temporal bone still represents the best option under extreme preservation conditions. These results highlight the need for context-specific sampling strategies that balance analytical goals with the preservation of museum collections. Future efforts include testing nondestructive protocols across various forensic scenarios and creating predictive models for DNA preservation. Overall, these developments promote ethical, effective, and sustainable practices in human genomic analysis.