DefinePK

Abstract

Objectives: Tooth morphology plays an important role in dental anthropology& forensic odontology. This study was conducted to determine the frequencies of variationsin occlusal surface patterns in permanent mandibular second molars in a subset of Pakistanipopulation. Data Source: 500 medical and dental students of Dow University of Health Sciencesand healthy volunteers visiting the dental OPD with age range from 17 to 25 years. Design ofStudy: Cross-sectional analytical Study. Setting: Department of Oral Biology, Dr. IshratulIbadKhan Institute of Oral Health Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences. Period: May 2017till August 2017. Materials & Methods: This analytical study was conducted in the departmentof Oral Biology at Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan Institute of Oral Health Science. Five hundred dentalcasts after interoral exam and impression taking were studied for the variations in the frequencyof of cusps and their relative groove and fissure pattern. Statistical analysis was performed byDescriptive analysis and Chi Square. Results: Out of the fivbe hundred casts that were analysed,51% were of males and 49% were of females. The four-cusped variety of mandibular molars withpresence of distal fovea and distal marginal ridge was the most frequent (95.4%) while the mostprevalent occlusal groove form was “+” shape (88.4%). Frequently present occlusal patternwas the “+4” form (85.4%). Conclusion: The occlusal configurations of mandibular molarsshowed high degree of variability. The most frequently occurring pattern of occlusal surface ofmandibular second molars in this subset of Pakistani population was determined to be “+4”form. These findings can be used for forensic, teaching & clinical purposes by providing aPakistani database for morphological characteristic of mandibular molars.