Analysis of non-metric dental traits for ethnicity identification in a mixed population of Uttar Pradesh

Background

Forensic odontology involves the identification of individuals through dental records, making it a crucial tool in legal investigations. Non-metric dental traits (NMDT), which are variations in dental morphology play a key role as these traits are inherited characteristics that can help establish biological relationships or ancestry. Thus, we aim to assess the frequency and variability of NMDT in the human dentition of four ethnically mixed populations in Uttar Pradesh. This study can aid in the future by maintaining records of ethnic groups and their variability, which can be crucial for disaster victim management and forensic odontology.

Methods

The study was conducted on a total of 100 patients coming to the OPD of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology and Microbiology of King George's Medical University from January 2022 to July 2023. Impressions of both arches were made for participants using irreversible hydrocolloid (alginate), and casts were examined under a stereomicroscope to assess 15 different morphological characteristics.

Results

NMDTs such as winging, shoveling, double-shoveling interruption groove, canine mesial ridge, hypocone, metacone, carabelli's trait, peg-shaped incisors, peg-shaped molar, premolar lingual cusp variation, deflecting wrinkle, protostylid, metaconulid, entoconulid was evaluated. The NMDTS were evaluated in four different ethnics Nordics, Mediterranean, Oriental Mediterranean, and Protoaustraloid amongst which various traits showed a statistically significant variation among the population of Uttar Pradesh.

Conclusion

The sample studied presented confirmed supernumerary traits like metacone, protostylid, carabellis trait, metaconulid, premolar lingual cusp variation, and deflecting wrinkle were seen highest in Nordic, Mediterranean, Oriental Mediterranean, and Protoaustraloid ethnicity have a significant association with the Uttar Pradesh population.