Abstract
Dental caries is the most common oral health disease affecting all age groups, races, and geographic locations. The need for the study was to determine the anatomical marker that could predict the taste perception and caries at an early stage. Aim of the study was to determine the correlation between digit ratio and caries experience in school-going children of south Canara region. An observational and cross-sectional pattern was adopted for the present study. The study was then evaluated to find out the correlation between the digit ratio that is thought to be predetermined with caries experience in children of age group 6 to 16 years. In the total sample of 2,037 children, the total population was divided into two categories, i.e., high digit ratio and low digit ratio. Of the total population, 1,112 had low digit ratio and 925 had high digit ratio. Caries experience was highest in low-risk group, followed by moderate, high risk, low risk, and very high risk groups. In all the categories, low digit ratio was affected more than high digit ratio. The study clearly states a positive correlation between digit ratio, taste, social behavior, and dental caries.How to cite this article: Verma P, Hegde AM. Digit Ratio and Dental Caries: A Sexually Dimorphic Trait. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2018;11(1):1-6.
Highlights
The relative length of fingers on the human hand has attracted considerable research interest and has been linked to various psychological traits and diseases
The aim of the study was to find out the existence of sexual dimorphism and if any association exists between digit ratio and oral health
The 2D:4D ratio (2D/4D) of right hand was calculated for each individual and the tabulation was done according to the sex
Summary
The relative length of fingers on the human hand has attracted considerable research interest and has been linked to various psychological traits and diseases. The ratio of lengths of second to fourth digits (2D:4D) is a sexually dimorphic trait that is lower in males than in females. Researchers found that the second (index) finger is usually shorter than the fourth (ring) finger. George[1] noticed that men’s ring finger was relatively longer than the index finger, i.e., low digit ratio, while in females it was more likely to show the opposite pattern, i.e., high digit ratio. Corresponding Author: Priya Verma, Professor, Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, K.D. Dental College & Hospital, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India, e-mail: priya.verma@ live.co.uk
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