Forensic Dentistry, Second Edition

dna and dna evidence 125

of contamination by a nonnative DNA source.^63 Wiping the mucosa also

eliminates adherent oral debris, such as materia alba, plaque, and microbial

flora, at the site of collection. Importantly, for these same reasons, rinsing or

wiping before taking an oral swab should not be done if the subject is a sus-

pected rape victim and oral copulation may have occurred. In this particular

situation, the goal is not to obtain a reference sample for a donor but rather

gain biological evidence of the attacker.

The receiving laboratory will have its own protocol for processing buccal

swabs. As the popularity of this collection technique grows, an increas-

ing number of laboratories are adopting a high-throughput platform that

accommodates the swab samples. In this way, hundreds or even thousands of

samples containing high-quality DNA in a predictable concentration can be

processed relatively quickly.

7.7 DNA Databases

Over the past two decades, forensic odontologists have witnessed a series of
computer software programs that provide the ability to store highly detailed
antemortem and postmortem records. The Computer-Assisted Postmortem
Identification System (CAPMI) and Wind-ID are memorable examples, as
is the 2004 version of the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) that
accommodates more than just dental fields for missing and unidentified
remains.64–66 The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)
contracts with PlassData in Denmark to administer DVI System International,
which is a similar database application that stores dental and other identifi-
cation data, including DNA profiles, for use in disaster victim identification
responses worldwide. These programs include elaborate search algorithms
that enable the investigator to scan hundreds or thousands of records quickly
in search of a match between the questioned and known sets of records.
Inevitably, following the generation of these best-possible matches, the asso-
ciated records are retrieved in original hard copy or high-quality digital
form and examined by a qualified forensic odontologist to determine if the
threshold for a dental identification has been achieved.
Other forensic specialties have developed similar capabilities. The finger-
print community queries the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identifi-
cation System (IAFIS) located at the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information
System in West Virginia that contains over 55 million subjects.6 7, 6 8 Fire-
arms examiners use the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS)
maintained by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives
at the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network.6 7, 6 9 L ess fa m i l ia r
forensic databases belie their purposes with names like Ident-A-Drug,
ChemFinder, National Automotive Paint File, and Forensic Information