Background: 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.
Aim: The present study was undertaken to find out a possible relation between some quantitative and qualitative dermatoglyphic variables, ECC, and salivary bacteria.
Materials and methods: 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.
Results: 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.Conclusion: There is explicit variation in dermatoglyphic patterns between the ECC and caries-free group indicating a correlation between dermatoglyphic patterns and dental caries.
Wright JT. Defining the contribution of genetics in the etiology of dental caries. J Dent Res 2010;89:1173–1174. DOI: 10.1177/0022034510379828
Schaumann B, Alter M. Dermatolglyphics in Medical Disorders. New York, Heidel Berg, Berlin: Springer-Verlage; 1976. pp. 14–75.
Mathew L, Hegde AM, Rai K. Dermatoglyphic peculiarities in children with oral clefts. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent 2005;23(4):179–182. DOI: 10.4103/0970-4388.19005
Holt SB. The hypothenar radial arch, a genetically determined epidermal ridge configuration. Am J Phys Anthropol 1975;42(2):211–214. DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.1330420206
Uchida JA, Solton HC. Evaluation of dermatoglyphics in medical genetics. Pediatr Clin North Am 1963;10(2):409–422. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-3955(16)31409-2
Ellor CS. Dermatoglyphics in schizophrenia. I. Qualitative aspects. Br J Psychiatry 1968;114(516):1387–1397. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.114.516.1387
Pons J. Genetics of the A-B ridge count on the human palm. Ann Hum Genet 1964;27:273–277. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-1809.1963.tb00795.x
Massler M, Pindborg JJ, Mohammed C. A compilation of epidemiologic studies in dental caries. Am J Public Health Nations Health 1954;44(10):1357–1362. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.44.10.1357
Verbov J. Clinical significance and genetics of epidermal ridges-a review of dermatoglyphics. J Invest Dermatol 1970;54(4):261–271. DOI: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12258550
Okajima M. Development of dermal ridges in the fetus. J Med Genet 1975;12(3):243–250. DOI: 10.1136/jmg.12.3.243
Atasu M. Dermatoglyphic findings in dental caries: a preliminary report. J Clin Pediatr Dent 1998;22(2):147–149. PMID: 9643190.
Sharma A, Somani R. Dermatoglyphic interpretation of dentalcaries and its correlation to salivary bacteria interactions: an in vivo study. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent 2009;27(1):17–21. DOI: 10.4103/0970-4388.50811
Madan N, Rathnam A, Bajaj N. Palmistry: a tool for dental caries prediction! Indian J Dent Res 2011;22(2):213–218. DOI: 10.4103/0970-9290.84289
Anitha C, Konde S, Raj NS, et al. Dermatoglyphics: a genetic marker of early childhood caries. J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent 2014;32(3):220–224. DOI: 10.4103/0970-4388.135828
Somani R, Gupta MP, Jaidka S, et al. Dermatoglyphics as a noninvasive tool for predicting dental caries in cerebral palsy and healthy children: an in vivo study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2019;12(3):237–242. DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10005-1630
Ahmed RH, Aref MI, Hassan RM, et al. Dermatoglyphic study on patients with dental caries restored with dental fillings and its correlation to apoptosis induced by dental fillings. Nat Sci 2010;8(10):54–57. DOI: 10.7537/marsnsj081010.08