Evaluation of occlusal groove morphology of primary mandibular second molar in an Indian population

BACKGROUND: The study of morphology of dentition can provide information on the phylogenetic relationship between species and diversities among population. There is a difference in opinions regarding influence of ethnicity on dental morphology. Using quantitative methods, few studies have shown the associations between these dental features and crown traits in humans. The present study is to find the correlation between the occlusal morphology and forensic anthropological research. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of different types of primary mandibular second molars in South Indian which can be used in forensic anthropological research. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted among 276 children in Thiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu. Screening for the number of cusps and groove patterns of primary mandibular second molars was done by direct intraoral examination. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: It was done with the help of IBM. SPSS statistics software 23.0 version. To find the significance in categorical data, Chi-square test was used. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: Primary mandibular second molars with 5 cusps were observed in 96.4% of population, 4 cusps in 1.8%, and 6 cusps in 1.8% which were noted in the study. Mandibular second molars with “+” groove pattern in 33% of population and “Y” groove pattern in 67% of population were recorded. 5Y pattern was the most frequently observed occlusal pattern in these population, which is a primitive type of occlusal groove pattern. CONCLUSION: The study of dental morphology and odontometry is important in the field of forensic and anthropological research. It helps to understand the phylogenetic relationships among species and also to study the diversities within a population. This study revealed a primitive type of occlusal morphology in the population studied.