Prevalence of Palatal Rugae as Biometric Markers in the Population of Lahore and Islamabad: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: This study primarily aims to examine the different varieties of palatal rugae in our population, focusing on gender differences and their role, generally and in forensics in particular. Palatal rugae are biometric tools that can be used in addition to other identification tools for human recognition, as they are considered unique and stable. The study aims to observe the prevalence of palatal rugae in our population, as subject specialists should encourage and pave the way, facilitate its search, research, and create avenues for future studies.
Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Department of Oral Biology, Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI), Lahore, Pakistan, from 1^st September 2021 to 31^st August 2022.
Methods: In this study, a total of 320 willing individuals were randomly selected to record their palatal rugae from Islamabad, Lahore, and the peripheries. 160 males and 160 females participated voluntarily, with informed consent, and their biometric records, primarily palatal rugae, were documented. The palatal rugae were recorded with the help of alginate impression material, which was then recorded by pouring the casts. Palatal rugae were studied and analyzed for their types, predominance, and gender variation.
Results: Differences were observed in the palatal rugae of all individuals. The predominant pattern of palatal rugae was wavy and curved in males and females, respectively.
Conclusion: Our study shows that males and females can exhibit different types of palatal rugae. Wavy patterns
of palatal rugae are significant in males compared to curved patterns in females.

How to cite this: Rasheed K, Ilyas MS, Umer S, Malik AA, Hussain M. Prevalence of Palatal Rugae as Biometric Markers in Population of
Lahore and Islamabad: A Cross-Sectional Study. Life and Science. 2026; 7(1): 80-86. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.977