JOURNAL of FORENSIC ODONTO- STOMATOLOGY

Fingerprints are considered to be the most reliable criteria for personal identification. In the past decades, lip-print studies (Cheiloscopy) attracted the attention of many scientists as a new tool for human identification in both civil and criminal issues. The present study was undertaken to observe the correlation between lip prints and finger print pattern in sex determination and to determine the pattern predominance in a sample of 5000 individuals. The study was carried out in 5000 individuals in Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology of Maharishi Markandeshwar College of Dental Sciences and Research, M.M. University, Mullana. Of the participants, 2500 were males and 2500 females. Lip prints and finger prints of the right hand were collected then studied and analyzed statistically. For lip prints TSUCHIHASHIS Y. classification (1970) was followed; HENRYS classification(1897) was followed for finger prints. Whorls were of a high frequency in males, but females presented with a high frequency of loops. Type I, I’, II lip print pattern was most predominant in females while Type III and Type IV was most predominant in males. The present study described in detail that for both males and females, the most predominant lip-print patterns showed an association with the respective predominant finger print patterns. The establishment of a database of Cheiloscopy and Dactyloscopyis recommended for all individuals in a certain locality, which could be used as a reference in civil litigations and criminal cases. Such studies may be useful particularly in Forensic science and in justice.