Morphological variations and prevalence of aberrant traits of primary molars

Abstract

Background Morphological variations in tooth structure exhibit as metric and non-metric traits which play an important role in dental anthropology. Aim The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of morphometric traits and mean crown dimensions of primary molars in children Subjects and methods This cross-sectional study was carried out in 4256 sectional dye casts of caries-free children aged 2.5–4 years from Puducherry. Two calibrated examiners graded the non-metric traits utilising the Arizona State University Dental Anthropological System classification and measured the crown dimensions in primary molars. The results are expressed in the form of numbers and percentages. Results Of the eight non-metric traits studied, metaconule (30.17%), Cusp of Carabelli (90.6%), and deflecting wrinkle (87.41%) in second primary molars, and distal trigonid crest (93.06%) and parastyle (3.48%) in first primary molars, seemed to have higher prevalence, and the overall crown dimensions were found to be smaller in comparison with those in other populations. Conclusion This study highlights the prevalence of aberrant dental traits in primary molars in a population. The study describes, for the first time, the existence of these traits in first primary molars, adding anthropological significance of primary dentition in various other populations.

Keywords

• aberrant traits
• primary molars
• non-metric traits
• crown dimensions