Year : 2022

Volume : Volume 13

Issue : Issue 2

Address for correspondence :
Dr. Sony Saraswati,
sonysaraswati@yahoo.co.in

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of the study is to investigate the stability of palatal rugae patterns in female and male patients prior and after fixed orthodontic therapy. Materials and Methods: Fifty patients (25 males and 25 females) scheduled to undergo fixed orthodontic treatment were selected for this study from the outpatient pool of private dental clinics of Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Pre- and post-orthodontic treatment casts were recorded for
each patient. Their casts were analyzed for sex determination analysis and changes in rugae pattern following fixed orthodontic therapy. Results: The results of the study showed that females have slightly more rugae than males. The study also demonstrated that the changes occurring with extractions and tooth movement or any other orthodontic treatment do not significantly alter the pattern of the palatal rugae. The overall percentage
of correct matches by observers in palatal rugae pattern between the casts of pre- and postorthodontic patients was 88.6% and 95.7%, respectively, with a mean of 90.2% and median of 90%. Conclusion: This study found that palatal rugae are sufficiently characteristic to indicate identity through discrimination and may be used for identification purposes.
Keywords: Palatal rugae, Forensic odontology, Sex determination, Orthodontic casts.