FREQUENCY OF DIFFERENT PALATAL RUGAE PATTERNS IN MIXED DENTITION PATIENTS

Objective: To assess the pattern of palatal rugae in mixed dentition subjects based on Angle’s classification of malocclusions. Methodology: Pre-treatment high quality white orthodontic stone models of 102 subjects, 55 males and 47 females were selected to conduct a cross-sectional study at Peshawar. Pattern, length and orientation of palatal rugae of all subjects included in the study were assessed using the proposed method of Thomas and Kotze for classification of palatal rugae. The mean, standard deviation and percentages were measured using SPSS Version 20.0. The mean highest length of second right side rugae was recorded 7.9020mm. Results: The study revealed significant differences in palatal rugae patterns based on gender (x2 = 6.016, df = 5, p = .305). The orientation of horizontally directed rugae was predominant (55.9%), followed by posteriorly (26.5%) and anteriorly directed (17.6%) rugae. Furthermore, the analysis showed notable associations between malocclusion classification and primary rugae count, length, orientation, and pattern. Conclusion: This study underscores the pivotal role of palatal rugae in accurate person identification, forensics, and dental records administration. The unique characteristics of palatal rugae hold substantial promise in forensic dentistry, enhancing our understanding of their distinct attributes and applications.