Palatal Rugae Patterns in Fars, Turkmen, and Sistani Ethnicities in the Eastern Part of the Caspian Littoral of Iran

In forensic medicine, it is important to identify whole or fragmented bodies. This aim can be particularly challenging in mass disasters. Palatal rugae patterns can be used as a surrogate parameter in forensic medicine. This stems from the difficulty in falsifying these patterns, their resistance to trauma, to decomposition for several days postmortem, and to combustion under high-temperatures, as well as being distinguishable among different races. The present study aimed to analyze the differences in the palatal rugae patterns among three Iranian ethnicities (Fars, Turkmen, and Sistani). This retrospective study involved the use of archived materials. The study casts were selected from the database of patients who visited a private orthodontics clinic. A total of 309 dental casts (103 Fars, 103 Turkmen, and 103 Sistani) were assessed, which belonged to 181 females and 128 males aged between 12 and 30 years (mean: 16.86 ± 3.18 years). The difference in the mean number of palatal rugae in women between the three ethnicities was statistically significant. Also, the differences in the total number of straight rugae were significant between the three ethnic groups. The most common rugae shapes in the three ethnic groups were the straight and wavy shapes. The length of the palatal rugae in the primary and secondary rugae among the study subjects younger than 18-years-old was significantly different between the three ethnic groups. Thus, the present research highlighted the differences in palatal rugae patterns among three Iranian ethnicities. Therefore, palatal rugae can be used in forensic medicine as a complementary approach to human identification.