Rugae dimensions and their significance in forensic dentistry

BACKGROUND: The palatal rugae are the ridges situated in the anterior part of the palatal mucosa, are unique to each individual, and can establish individual's identity. AIMS: To establish the reliability of using the palatal rugae dimensions in identifying the different ethnic groups. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Many studies have established the reliability of using the palatal rugae patterns in identifying the different ethnic groups. However, no studies have been reported in the English language literature that uses the rugae dimensions to identify the different ethnic groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 60 subjects aged between 18–30 years comprising of 30 Kannada speaking and 30 Malayalam speaking individuals, with 15 males and 15 females, in each were considered for the study. The rugae patterns of these patients were traced on dental casts obtained with alginate impressions. A digital caliper was used to measure the different dimensions of the palatal rugae. STASTICAL ANALYSIS: Statistical analysis was carried out using the unpaired ‘t’ test. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The present study showed a significant difference in the palatal rugae dimensions among the Karnataka and Kerala individuals.