Aim & Objective: The study aims to assess the association of hormonal fingerprints with malocclusion among 18-25 years old dental students. Introduction: A ‘Hormonal Fingerprint’ biomarker is the ratio of the lengths of the second and fourth digits. In dentistry, few research have been conducted to assess the impact of hormonal fingerprints on oral health, prompting us to develop a new approach for predicting malocclusion. Material & Methods: A total of 160 dental students were randomly selected from both gender of age group 18-25 years. The hormonal fingerprint (2D:4D) was made by measuring the length ratio of the index and ring finger with the help of digital vernier calliper. Malocclusion was assessed by using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) according to the WHO criteria, 1997. The Kappa value for intra-examiner reliability was 0.98 and 0.95. The data collected were tabulated and statistically analysed using Chi-square and Pearson Correlation test and p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 160 dental students, 47.5% were males and 52.5% were females in which 82.5% had a low 2D:4D ratio and 17.5% had a high 2D:4D ratio. The results showed lower 2D:4D ratio was associated with normal occlusion. Conclusion: These data indicate that testosterone plays a crucial role in mandibular growth. Thus, the 2D:4D ratio, a minimally invasive and repeatable method, can be employed as an early predictor of malocclusion.
