Forensic Samples And Standard Paternity Testing Samples

By Author: Glenn Farrier
Total Articles: 123
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You will typically need to use oral swabs to collect DNA samples for paternity testing. There are, of course, alternatives to using swabs which will be discussed further on in this article.

How and why are oral swabs used?

It makes sense to begin by explaining how oral swabs are used to collect DNA samples. Oral swabs need to be rubbed for 10 seconds around the inside of the mouth; there is no need for vigorous or harsh rubbing, just a rubbing motion exerting a mild pressure. This sampling procedure is so quick, easy and painless that you do need any doctor or nurse to assist you. Once you have rubbed the swabs in your mouth, you can place them in a clean glass - cotton end part upwards- and allow them to dry for one hour. Once this process is complete you can send them off for laboratory testing.

Oral swabs offer a very high success rate. Your mouth lining is made up of hundreds of thousands of cells which detach very easily from the surface of the mouth with the rubbing motion of a swab against it. Even just rubbing your finger inside your mouth would cause thousands of cells to detach from the mouth lining ...
... and stick to your finger tip. The chances of successful laboratory DNA extraction from an oral swab are higher than 95% - which makes this the best sample to use.

What about paternity testing with other samples?

Yes, you can test a range of other samples for a paternity test. These are often referred to as forensic samples and there is quite a vast range which can be tested. The following should however, be kept in mind:

• Because analysis of forensic samples requires a more complex and in-depth analysis, the overall price of the test will go up. The more forensic samples you use, the higher the cost.

• Different forensic samples have different success rates and some are better than others. With many forensic samples the chances of sample failure are much higher than with oral swabs.

The best samples to use if you cannot get a sample from a person involved in the test include the following (listed from better to less ideal samples) : A used Kleenex, semen, blood stains, finger nail clippings, cigarette butts, toothbrush. The least recommended sample is a licked envelope. This is because you cannot even be sure the envelope has been licked. Where possible, paternity testing with oral swabs is always recommended.

Karl McDonald is a writer specializing in the field of DNA paternity testing. Other articles written by the author are related to Infidelity Testing, Forensic DNA Testing and genetic testing and can be found on the net.