Morphological analysis of palatal rugae pattern in central Indian population

AIM: The aim of this study was to analyze the morphological study of palatal rugae pattern in a central Indian population and to determine sex differentiation. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the distinctive rugae patterns of the study population and determine the contribution of rugae patterns in gender identification. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was conducted among a Central Indian population with a sample size of 500 participants. The study involved 250 males and 250 females who were randomly selected from the outpatient department of Oral Medicine Diagnosis and Radiology, Hitkarini Dental College and Hospital, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. After collection of impression, casts were made and analyzed to evaluate the palatal rugae pattern in a central Indian population by using Thomas and Kotze classification (1983) for number, shape, direction, and unification of palatal rugae pattern. The statistical analysis was carried out using Mann–Whitney test and Chi-square (χ(2)) tests for categorical variables. RESULT: Males showed more number of rugae than females [P = 0.00 (≤0.001)]. Males had more number of wavy rugae pattern whereas females showed more number of straight rugae patterns [P = 0.00 (≤0.001)]. Males showed more backwardly directed rugae whereas females showed more forwardly directed rugae [P = 0.00 (≤0.001)]. The unification did not show any significant difference. CONCLUSION: This study showed that there was a significant relationship between palatoscopy, human identification, and sex determination. Thus, palatoscopy can be considered as a cost effective, easy, unique, and stable method for human identification.