Hand is the organ of all organs: dermatoglyphics and its relation to dental caries in children with mental retardation

Introduction: Everyperson has certain features that make them radically distinct from others. One such feature are finger prints. They remain the same throughout life and are uninfluenced by injuries, diseases, or environmental changes. A possible true genetic predisposition towards dental caries and dermatoglyphics has piqued interest in the minds of dental investigators for decades as skin, and tooth enamel are derivatives of embryonic ectoderm.
Methodology: The study was conducted among 200 children aged 9-15 years in Bagalkot, Karnataka, India. Dental caries was recorded by using DMFT index and the finger prints of both the hands were recorded using the stamp pad method.
Results: Prevalence of dental caries was higher among children with whorl patterns in the normal children and loop pattern in the mentally retarded children.
Conclusion: Dermatoglyphics can prove to be an extremely useful, non-invasive and cost-effective tool for preliminary investigations into conditions with a suspected genetic base.