Palatal Rugae Pattern in Korean Children and Adolescents

Purpose: To determine whether the morphological features of the palatal rugae are associated with sex and age in children and adolescents. Methods: A total of 300 diagnostic models of the palatal rugae of children and adolescents were collected. The models were classified into male and female and<13- and ≥13-year-old groups. The palatal rugae pattern, and the number and length of palatal rugae plicae, were analyzed. Results: The number of palatal rugae plicae was higher in females than in males, however, the difference was negligible. In the group aged 13 years or more, the number was higher in the male group on the left side. There was no association between the number of palatal rugae plicae and age group. The type I pattern was the most common in both males and females. The length of palatal rugae plicae was greater in males than in females. There was no association between the length of palatal rugae plicae and age group. Conclusions: The number and length of palatal rugae were associated with sex, but the morphological features of the palatal rugae could not distinguish between children and adolescents. These findings suggest that the palatal rugae have limited value for identification of individuals.