Rugae pattern determination in periodontitis patients: A descriptive study

Background: Forensic sciences, a well-established branch in the field of medicine and dentistry always aids in revealing person identity by various methods. Commonly used techniques are analysis of teeth, fingerprints, and DNA comparison, which allowing fast and secure identification processes. However, these techniques cannot always be applied, in some cases, it is necessary to apply different and less known techniques. Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the uniqueness of palatal rugae pattern in Himachal ethnicity population and whether there is any relation between pattern of rugae in gingivitis, chronic periodontitis, and aggressive periodontitis. Settings and Design: The present study includes maxillary impressions cast in dental stone of patients attending and were divided into three groups of gingivitis, aggressive periodontitis, and chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: In our study, palatal rugae pattern were then evaluated on maxillary casts for the number and shape using calcorrugoscopy. Statistical Analysis: Comparison of means of number of rugae in three groups was done using independent sample t-test, and comparison of mean of different shapes was done employing analysis of variance. The level of significance was fixed at P< 0.05. Results: The most prevalent palatal rugae shape in aggressive periodontitis was found to be angle followed by Sinuous and in chronic and aggressive periodontitis was sinuous followed by line pattern. Conclusions: The differences in rugae shape between the three groups may be attributed to genetic factors, disease progression, and recent shared ancestry has probably rendered their differences to moderate levels