Dermatoglyphics in patients with dental caries: a study on 1250 individuals

This study was undertaken to investigate and analyze the significance of dermatoglyphics in predicting the susceptibility of individuals to develop dental caries.

This case-control study was conducted on 1250 children in the age group of 5 to 12 years from Chennai Corporation School, Vadapalani, Chennai. Out of 1250 subjects, 625 subjects were in the study group and the remaining 625 subjects were the control group. The study group included children with dental caries in 5 or more teeth based on the DMFT index performed and control group consisted of normal, healthy children without any dental caries. The finger and palmar prints of both hands were taken using a stamp pad. The fingertip patterns were analyzed according to the classical method and configurational types were classified according to the topological method. Statistical analysis was performed using nonparametric tests and t-test to compare the dermatoglyphic pattern changes between the study group and the control group and was applied for each variable, to compare the proportions, and p-value.

(1) Dental caries susceptibility of an individual increases with an increase in the incidence of whorl pattern (83% correlation). (2) All the variables show statistically significant value, with a degree of divergence of specific dermatoglyphic patterns among study and control group. (3) The dermatoglyphic patterns are efficient and can predict in assessing the risk of susceptibility to dental caries in study group.

The dental caries susceptibility of an individual increased with incidence of whorl pattern and it decreased with incidence of loop pattern.

The dermatoglyphic patterns may be utilized effectively to study the genetic basis of dental caries. In a developing country like India, it might prove to be a noninvasive, inexpensive and effective tool for screening.