Assessment of Palatal Rugae Characteristics in Different Malocclusions- A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND Early diagnosis of malocclusion and intercepting the malocclusion at an earlier stage is inevitable in orthodontics. The morphological characteristics of palatal rugae are set up at an early age and are stable in their position and pattern throughout the life of an individual, hence they are used as a reference landmark for superimposition and evaluate the extent of tooth movement in orthodontics. This review aims to analyze the orthodontic literature regarding the association of palatal rugae pattern with different malocclusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS To analyse the literature regarding the association of palatal rugae pattern with different malocclusion by using the keywords palatal rugae or plica palatine transversae or rugoscopy and malocclusion or sagittal malocclusion or class I or class II or class III or skeletal pattern and stability and orthodontics or orthodontia. The pubmed, Google scholar, Embase databases were searched till June 2022. RESULTS Wavy and Curved type of rugae was more common rugae pattern in all group of malocclusions. Many studies found there is no statistically significant difference in palatal rugae among malocclusion. However, few studies showing that largest number of rugae is present in class II malocclusion than class I and class III. CONCLUSION This review provides evidence of a distinct pattern of Palatal rugae in Class I and Class III malocclusion and largest number in Class II but to ascertain its statistical significance, further research is needed with a larger sample size.