Rugae Profiling: A Pilot Study in Udaipur, Rajasthan

Background:Human identification either living or dead is a complex process and one of the main objective of forensic science. The most reliable method of identification is finger printing and DNA profiling, since no two sets of prints are alike. Finger print is most reliable tool provided it is obtained prior to decomposition of body and is not mutilated. It is of little value when body is identified 48 hrs after death or when it has burns, crush injury or had been under water for long. Therefore in such incidences where the routinely used methods of identification are compromised palatal rugae pattern can be used for personal identification. Aim and objective:To study the rugae pattern in a sample of male and female population of Udaipur and to compare the patterns between the two groups, which may be an additional method of determining gender by using maxillary casts. Materials and methods: The rugae pattern of 50 males and 50 females belonging to Udaipur was studied on maxillary casts. Results: The Wavy pattern was found to be higher in Udaipur. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean value of number of rugae in males and females. There was a statistically significant difference in the circular and convergence pattern of rugae which was found to be higher among females than males (p<0.05). Conclusion: The rugae patterns are genetically determined. The findings suggest that rugae are specific to a particular population and might have better utility in population differentiation. This method is simple and inexpensive to conduct and therefore can be applied in forensic odontology.