CHEILOSCOPIC ANALYSIS OF LIP PRINT PATTERNS IN RELATION TO CRANIOFACIAL GROWTH PATTERNS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN ORTHODONTIC PATIENTS.

Background: Cheiloscopy, the study of lip print patterns, has gained recognition in forensic identification due to the unique characteristics of lip prints. While previous studies have explored correlations between lip prints and sagittal malocclusions, the relationship between lip print patterns and craniofacial growth patterns remains unexplored. To investigate the correlation between lip prin Objective: t patterns and craniofacial growth patterns (vertical, average, and horizontal) in orthodontic patients and explore potential applications in orthodontic diagnosis and forensic identification. This cross-sectional study included 112 subjects aged 10-18 years from the Department Materials and Methods: of Orthodontics, Sree Anjaneya Institute of Dental Sciences. Craniofacial growth patterns were classified using Y-axis angles from lateral cephalometric radiographs (vertical: >66°, average: 59-66°, horizontal: <59°). Lip prints were collected using the lipstick-cellophane technique and analyzed according to Tsuchihashi's classification system, focusing on the middle 10mm of the lower lip. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-square test with significance set at p<0.05. The sample comprised 60 females (54%) and 52 males (46%). Verti Results: cal growth pattern was most prevalent (46.4%), followed by average (33.9%) and horizontal (19.6%) patterns. Class 2 (branched) lip prints were most common overall (36.6%), followed by Class 1 (29.5%) and Class 4 (18.8%). Class 5 patterns occurred exclusively in vertical growth subjects (1.8%). No statistically significant association was found between lip print patterns and craniofacial growth patterns (χ² = 13.23, p = 0.21). While Conclusion: no significant correlation was established, the study provides foundational methodology for future research exploring cheiloscopy applications in orthodontic diagnosis and forensic identification.