Cheiloscopy-Your Identity, Our Indicator: A Cross-sectional Study to Evaluate the Relationship between Lip Prints and Dental Caries in Children of Jammu Province.

Abstract

Background: Dental caries, a major public health concern, is impacting millions of people worldwide. Its etiology being complex, nevertheless, a possibility of true genetic dental decay has puzzled dental researchers for years, as anatomical structures, namely, lips, thumb, and tooth enamel, are derivatives of an embryonic germ layer, the ectoderm.

Aims and objectives: The study aims to know the association between lip print and tooth decay and to determine the type of lip print that is most susceptible to tooth decay. To determine this relationship, the lip print samples (lip prints) were extracted from the subjects and segregated according to their types and the presence of dental caries.

Methodology: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among 110 children aged 6-9 years by cheiloscopy and examination of dental caries using decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT)/decayed, extracted, and filled teeth (DEFT) index. The recording of lip prints was done on bond paper and analyzed using Suzuki and Tsuchihashi's classification.

Result: In our research, lip prints with branched pattern (type II) were seen in majority of the samples with a higher incidence of caries.

Conclusion: The study aided us in correlating certain patterns that may be related to specific incidences of dental caries and their association. Type II (branching) pattern was predominant among the cheiloscopic patterns recorded in our study.

How to cite this article: Kashani RN, Kaul B, Rajput S, et al. Cheiloscopy-Your Identity, Our Indicator: A Cross-sectional Study to Evaluate the Relationship between Lip Prints and Dental Caries in Children of Jammu Province. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2025;18(8):992-996.