Sagar Shah¹

The Quadrant 2(2):7-13

How to cite: Shah S. The association of toe dermatoglyphics with dental caries and body mass index in children: A cross-sectional study. The Quadrant. 2024;2(2):7-13.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11272948

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Dermatoglyphics is the study of epidermal ridge patterns on the surfaces of fingers, toes, palms, and plantar regions. These ridges along with enamel develop from the ectoderm during the same gestational period. Since they share the same genetic information, dermatoglyphic can serve as a biomarker of dental caries in primary teeth. AIM: The aim of the present study was to assess the association between toe dermatoglyphic patterns and body mass index with the caries status of children between 3-6-years of age. METHODOLOGY: Based on the inclusion criteria and their def score, 85 children were divided into Group I (caries-free) and Group II (caries-prone) group. Toeprints were recorded using Cummins and Midlo method whereas height and weight of each participant was recorded for BMI calculation. RESULTS: A chi-square test for independence revealed that significant associations could be drawn between specific dermatoglyphic patterns with dental caries status and BMI. However, ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey HSD tests did not reveal a significant association between dermatoglyphics, dental caries status and BMI. CONCLUSION: This study concludes that toe dermatoglyphics can serve as a potential biomarker for primary teeth decay in children. The relationship between BMI and dental caries remains a subject for further exploration.

Keywords: Dermatoglyphics, Body Mass Index, Dental Caries, Pediatric Dentistry

HIGHLIGHTS

• Explores dermatoglyphics by taking into consideration the lesser explored toeprints

• Tries to explain the correlation between BMI and dental caries along with dermatoglyphics

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR AFFILIATIONS

¹Department of Pediatrics & Preventive Dentistry, College of Dental Sciences & Research Centre, Ahmedabad, India

Received: 30th August 2023

Accepted: 26th December 2023

Published: 09th April 2024

The Association of Toe Dermatoglyphics with Dental Caries and Body Mass Index in Children: A cross-sectional study