Assessing socioeconomic status through dental and associated tissue characteristics: A cross-sectional study for human identification.

Abstract

Background: Dental identification methods are employed to determine a person's identity in forensic odontology. Additionally, analyzing a person's teeth can provide insights into their socioeconomic status, which may assist in the process of identification. Our study aimed to assess the correlation between dental health status and SES among individuals, with a focus on identifying predictors of SES based on dental health indicators.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the correlation between dental health status and socioeconomic status among 135 individuals. who had visited the Department of Oral Medicine for various forms of dental care. SES was measured according to a modified Kuppuswamy scale. The associations between SES and dental health indicators were analyzed using chi-square tests for categorical variables and t-tests for continuous variables.

Results: Dental caries is more common in lower SES groups, attributed to factors like poor nutrition and hygiene. Partial and complete edentulism are also more prevalent in lower SES populations, often due to financial constraints and lack of awareness, leading to extractions rather than restorations. However, urban populations, regardless of SES, show greater utilization of dental restorations, likely due to the concentration of dentists in cities and access to community-based dental camps offering low-cost treatments. Periodontal diseases further reflect SES disparities. Studies show that individuals from lower SES backgrounds report more severe periodontal issues, such as gingival swelling, while higher SES groups report milder symptoms like gingival bleeding, indicating earlier intervention.

Conclusion: SES plays a vital role in shaping health and lifestyle outcomes. The findings in our study demonstrate the value of incorporating SES indicators, such as education, occupation, marital status, and residence, into forensic investigations to enhance the precision of identification processes.