From the time of early civilization, the characteristic pattern of the hands have been an area of interest to predict the future. Over the years of scientific research, these features of hand has come to be considered as a useful tool in the diagnosis of psychological, genetic and other medical conditions. Epidermal ridge patterns form early in fetal development and they remain unchanged throughout life and hence they could be used to indicate gene or chromosomal abnormalities. Thus, the dermatoglyphic patterns may be utilized effectively to study the genetic basis of various diseases in developing counteries, as it is a noninvasive, inexpensive and effective tool for screening and foretell the probability of occurrence of various diseases. The present review aims to discuss various pattern of fingerprints and briefly discusses importance of fingerprints in prediction of oral diseases. Keywords: Dermatoglyphics; Epidermal ridge patterns; Fingerprints