Dermatoglyphics as a Noninvasive Tool for Predicting Dental Caries in Cerebral Palsy and Healthy Children: An In Vivo Study

Abstract

Aim: To find the association of dermatoglyphics and dental caries in normal and cerebral palsy (CP) children. Materials and methods: A total of 150 children of age group 6–12 years were selected and divided into three equal groups. Group I constituted of 50 CP caries-active children, group II constituted of 50 healthy caries active children, and group III consisted of 50 healthy caries-free children. World Health Organization (WHO) criteria were used for diagnosis and recording of decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT)/deft scores. Fingerprints of both hands were taken using a stamp pad and analyzed using the Cummin and Midlo method. Results: The results were statistically analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hocTukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD). The data for the entire study were calculated using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) statistical software 19.0 version. The mean DMFT/ deft score was the highest for the CP caries-active group compared to the healthy caries-active and healthy caries-free children. Dermatoglyphic pattern distribution in the CP caries-active group showed more whorls and that in the healthy caries-free group showed more arches. Intergroup comparisons for DMFT/deft and dermatoglyphic patterns were significant except between CP caries-active children and healthy caries-active children. Conclusion: Association of dermatoglyphics and dental caries was observed among CP caries-active children, healthy caries-active children, and healthy caries-free children. This association can be helpful in identifying the possible genetic predisposition and early prediction of dental caries in CP children, so as to initiate oral health measures at an early stage. Clinical significance: Maintaining oral hygiene has always been a challenge in children because of many difficulties like behavior management and lack of dexterity, and it becomes all the more difficult in the case of children with special needs. Dermatoglyphics can be proven to be a very useful, noninvasive, and economical tool for the preliminary diagnosis of diseases of suspected genetic origin like dental caries and CP.