Background: Palatal rugoscopy, or palatoscopy, is the process by which human identification can be obtained by inspecting the transverse palatal rugae inside the mouth.
Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate the potential of using palatal rugae as an aid for sex identification in Bengaluru population.
Materials and methods: One hundred plaster casts equally distributed between males and females belonging to age range of 4-16 years were examined for different rugae patterns. Thomas and Kotze classification was adopted for identification of these rugae patterns.
Statistical analysis: The data obtained were subjected to discriminant function analysis to determine the applicability of palatal rugae pattern as an aid for sex identification.
Results: Difference in unification patterns among males and females was found to be statistically significant. No significant difference was found between males and females in terms of number of rugae. Overall, wavy and curvy were the most predominant type of rugae seen. Discriminant function analysis enabled sex identification with an accuracy of 80%.
Conclusion: This preliminary study undertaken showed the existence of a distinct pattern of distribution of palatal rugae between males and females of Bengaluru population. This study opens scope for further research with a larger sample size to establish palatal rugae as a valuable tool for sex identification for forensic purposes.
Keywords: Discriminant function analysis; forensic odontology; palatal rugae; sex identification.