Journal of Advanced Clinical & Research Insights (2018), 5, 115–118 Journal of Advanced Clinical & Research Insights ● Vol. 5:4 ● Jul-Aug 2018 115 Keywords: Forensic odontology, groove, indian population, mandibular molars, occlusal cusp Correspondence: Dr. Vijayalakshmi Kotrashetti, Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Maratha Mandal’s NGH Institute of Dental Sciences, Belgaum – 590 010, Karnataka, India. Fax.: (0831)-2479323. E-mail: drviju18@yahoo.com Received: 02 May 2018; Accepted: 22 June 2018 doi: 10.15713/ins.jcri.225 Introduction The study of the origin and variations of the human dentition is called dental anthropology. It can be used as an efective tool to identify geographic or racial afnities. Dental anthropologic studies include metric and non-metric traits. The former includes number of teeth, individual tooth measurement, cusp size, and number, and the latter includes parameters such as location of cusps, occlusal pattern, and root confguration. [1] The patterns of occlusal surfaces of molars can occur during the fnal stages of molar growth, which results in terminal deposition of enamel and are suggested to be polygenically conditioned and which are determined by the combination of allele on two or more sites/ loci. [2] In anthropology, variations in occlusal surfaces of mandibular molars are described by morphological categories. In 1928, various occlusal surface patterns were outlined and their frequency was discussed in diferent population groups by Hellman. The original classifcation of Hellman was based on number of cusps and groove patterns established between the occlusal surfaces of lower molars. Y5 type is the basic pattern which is termed as “dryopithecoid,” where the “5” refers to the main cusps which are homologous with the major cusps of previous tooth forms in phylogeny. In the four-cusped class, all these cusps are included except the hypoconulid on the distal aspect, which is the most variable one. The number 4 or 5 is combined with the letter Y or a plus sign (+) which indicates the arrangement of the grooves between these cusps. While the 5Y pattern is considered to be the most conservative and of the ancestral variety, the 4+ pattern represents the evolutionary advanced type. It has been depicted that in modern tooth forms there is a generalized reduction in the dental components, ORIGINAL ARTICLE Occlusal groove patterns and cusp number in permanent mandibular frst and second molar among Indian population - A pilot study Sindhu Nair, Vijayalakshmi S. Kotrashetti, Ramakant Nayak, Jagadish Hosmani Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Maratha Mandal’s NGH Institute of Dental Sciences, Belgaum, Karnataka, India Abstract Background: The study of the origin and variations of the human dentition is called dental anthropology. It can be used as an efective tool to identify geographic or racial afnities. Dental anthropology includes metric and non-metric analysis. Non-metric analysis includes studying the morphology of teeth. Morphological analyses on extra cusp, shoveling of incisor, and Carabelli’s trait have been studied extensively in Indian population, but cusp number variation and variation in groove morphology are lacking. Thus, the aim is to determine the frequency of occlusal groove pattern and cusp number in permanent mandibular frst and second molar among Indian population. Materials and Methods: A total of 150 subjects of Indian origin were considered (75 males and 75 females) in the age group of 18–25 years. Exclusion criteria included caries, restorations, and attrition of teeth. After obtaining consent, impression was obtained using alginate impression material and cast made using dental stone. Mandibular frst and second molar was analyzed for occlusal groove pattern and cusp number based on Arizona State University - Dentoanthropological System of State University of Arizona criteria. Results: The most frequent pattern in 36 and 46 was 5Y followed by 4+ and 6X. In 37 and 47, 4+ pattern was more frequent followed by 4X. Signifcant diference was observed in distribution of patterns between 36 and 37 and 46 and 47, respectively (P < 0.01) and between males and females signifcant diference was observed with respect to 37 and 47. Conclusion: The mandibular frst molar showed 5Y pattern more frequently indicating a more conservative trend while the second molar showed 4+ pattern depicting a high evolutionary trend. There was a signifcant diference in the distribution of patterns between males and females with respect to the second molar.