Dermatoglyphics: Prediction for Prevention: An Innovative Tool in our Stash!

Early childhood caries (ECC) has created pandemonium worldwide and so in India which is alarming and accentuates the need to foster novel and effective preventive strategies that are synergistic with the current one. There are different methods to diagnose ECC. Nonetheless, up until now, there has been no method to predict ECC. Dermatoglyphics could be considered a noninvasive and early predictor of dental caries in children, as ECC is a multifactorial disease with the influence of genetic patterns.

The present study was undertaken to find out a possible relation between some quantitative and qualitative dermatoglyphic variables, ECC, and salivary bacteria.

The study was carried out on 200 children within the age-group of 36-72 months. The study population was divided into four groups comprising 50 individuals each based on decayed, missing and filled teeth (dmft) score and gender; group I-caries male (dmft ≥ 5), group II-caries free male (dmft score 0), group III-caries female (dmft≥ 5), and group IV-caries free female (dmft score 0). Dermatoglyphic patterns of all 10 palmar digits were recorded and assessed qualitatively and quantitatively.

The caries group showed maximum occurrence of whorls, which were more prevalent in females and decreased frequency of loops when compared to caries free group. There was a significant association of the whorl pattern with the microbial counts of Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and Lactobacillus.

There is explicit variation in dermatoglyphic patterns between the ECC and caries-free group indicating a correlation between dermatoglyphic patterns and dental caries.

Shah SG, Kaul B, Gupta A, et al. Dermatoglyphics: Prediction for Prevention: An Innovative Tool in our Stash! Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(S-1):S101-S108.