Lip Prints Analysis: An Observational Study

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the present study is to determine the lip prints among undergraduate dental students. Introduction: Human identification is a universal process based on scientific principles mainly involving fingerprinting. Uniqueness is a strong point used in the analysis of fingerprints to convince the court of law. Even the lip prints are unique for an individual and can be used for identification purposes. Thus lip prints can be used to verify the presence or absence of a person at the scene of crime. The aim of this study is to analyse lip prints among undergraduate dental students. Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 50 females. The materials used were lipstick, a brush for applying the lipstick, and magnifying lens. Lipstick was applied evenly on the vermilion border of the lips and the pattern was studied. Results: This study of lip print pattern of 50 females revealed the following observation: No two lip prints matched each other establishing the uniqueness of lip prints and type 2(branched Y shaped grooves) is most commonly seen. Conclusion: This study showed that lip prints are unique for an individual and hold potential promise as a supplementary tool in forensic odontology.