An in-vivo Analysis of the Positional Relationship of Palatal Rugae with Maxillary Teeth in Different Arch Forms Among Young Dentulous Gujarati Individuals-A Pilot Study
Abstract
Background- The palatal rugae are transverse folds of tissue located in the anterior portion of the hard palate. They are considered to be reliable landmarks with manifold uses in the field of orthodontics and forensics. The current study was carried out with the aim of determining if a positional relationship of palatal rugae exists with the maxillary teeth in individuals with different maxillary arch forms.
Material and method- The study was carried out in 100 participitants (87 females and 13 males) . Irreversible hydrocolloid impressions were made and casts were poured in Type 3 dental stone. The casts were divided according to arch forms as taper, ovoid and square. Palatal rugae on the casts were assessed digitally and the position of the most posterior rugae evaluated in relation with the adjacent maxillary teeth.
Results –It was observed that the palatal rugae had a higly significant positional relationship with the maxillary posterior teeth(p value <0.0001) . In the ovoid and square arches, majority of the individuals had the most posterior rugae lying at the level of distal margin of 2nd premolar while in cases of taper dental arches, maximum number of individuals had the distal margin of 1st premolar coincide with the most posteriorly located rugae.
Conclusion- Hence, it can be concluded that the most posterior limit of the rugae may serve as a reliable guide for the arrangement of the maxillary teeth in different arch forms.
Key Words- Palatal Rugae, maxillary anterior teeth , denture aesthetics
