ETHNIC ASSOCIATION OF CUSP OF CARABELLI AND SHOVELING OF INCISORS IN WESTERN CHHATISGARH POPULATION (DURG-RAJNANDGAON DISTRICT) - "A FORENSIC STUDY"
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Abstract
Background: Dental morphological traits such as the Cusp of Carabelli and shoveling of incisors are genetically determined non-metric characteristics that play an important role in forensic odontology, dental anthropology, and ancestry estimation. Their expression varies among different ethnic populations and may assist in human identification.
Aim: To evaluate the prevalence, degree of expression, and ethnic association of the Cusp of Carabelli and shoveling of incisors among tribal, urban, and migrant populations of Western Chhattisgarh (Durg and Rajnandgaon districts), and to assess their forensic significance.
Materials and Methods: This observational cross-sectional comparative study included 750 participants aged 20–45 years, equally distributed among tribal, urban, and migrant populations (250 each). Clinical examination and maxillary alginate impressions were obtained, and study casts were prepared using dental stone. The Cusp of Carabelli and shoveling of incisors were evaluated using standardized anthropological criteria. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25.0. Chi-square test, one-way ANOVA/Kruskal–Wallis test, and binary logistic regression were applied, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The prevalence of the Cusp of Carabelli was highest among the tribal population (40.4%), followed by urban (35.2%) and migrant (34.8%) populations. Shoveling of incisors was slightly more prevalent than the Cusp of Carabelli in all groups. Gender-wise differences were not statistically significant except for shoveling of incisors among the migrant population. A significant association between the two dental traits was observed across all three population groups (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: The Cusp of Carabelli and shoveling of incisors are valuable non-metric dental traits with significant forensic and anthropological importance. Their combined assessment may improve ancestry estimation and human identification, while the present study provides important baseline data for the Western Chhattisgarh population.