DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2017.v05i06.044

Pages: 2277-2279

Establishing the person’s identity is an important and complex process. It is usually done in the forensic study by the use of various anatomical landmarks. Palatal rugae are one of the anatomical landmarks. It is different in each individual and it remains constant throughout the life of the individual. The present study was done to study the prevalence of the palatal rugae patterns. The study was conducted in the department of forensic sciences and general anatomy jointly. A total of 120 subjects, including of 60 males and 60 females were taken for the study. The patients coming to the OPD were selected randomly and taken for the study. The palatal rugae on the cast were delineated with the help of sharp tip HB pencil under adequate light on the cast made from the impression. The most prevalent type of rugae in both males and females was curved (40.82%) followed by wavy (24.03%), straight (18.34%) and diverging types (6.97%). The diverging type was present in 54 rugae, nonspecific in 34 rugae and converging in 28 rugae, out of the total rugae examined. Different types of pattern seen in the individuals can be used as reliable guide in the forensic study.