Saliva as A Biomarker in Forensic Identification

The constant advancement of forensic analyses has evolved into a snowball with new questions arising and solutions being looked for everyday. Forensic odontology has come a long way in understanding bite marks, its mechanism and other related factors. In general, bitemark analysis is more than often centralized on imprints of teeth on skin or food substances. What we need to understand is not all the time an entire set of dental marks is available for analysis. An adjuvant is essential to heighten the analysis and arrive at a more convincing result with a scientific backing. Saliva is a diagnostic medium that can be easily collected and with minimal invasion but it has beenneglected in the past. It is now systematically being researched and oral fluid analysis is being compared with the analysis of other diagnostic media such as blood and urine. Today, saliva is being used moreoften to diagnose: hereditary diseases, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, endocrinedisordersas, well as in the assessment of therapeutic levels of drugs and in forensic field.