Journal of Pharmaceutical Negative Results ¦ Volume 13 ¦ Special Issue 6 ¦ 2022 1067 Distinctiveness of palatal rugae : A potential tool in sex identification Shreya Singh 1 , L J Deepti 2 , Nancy Verma 3 , Madhav Nagpal 4 , Neeraj Grover 5 , Kanika Bhalla Prabhat 6 1 Reader, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Oral Microbiology, Santosh Dental College, Santosh Deemed to be University, Ghaziabad. 2,3 PG 3RD Year, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Oral Microbiology, Santosh Dental College, Santosh Deemed to be University, Ghaziabad. 4 Professor, Vyas dental college and Hospital, Jodhpur, Rajasthan. 5 Professor & Head of Department, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Oral Microbiology, Santosh Dental College, Santosh Deemed to be University, Ghaziabad. 6 Reader, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Oral Microbiology, Santosh Dental College, Santosh Deemed to be University, Ghaziabad. DOI: 10.47750/pnr.2022.13.S06.143 Background: Everyone has certain characteristics that set them apart from others. Variations in the palatal rugae pattern is one such feature which stay consistent throughout one's life specially edentulous patients. So, this rapidly emerging branch of forensic odontology can be taken as an adjuvant in investigation of criminals which has immense significance in giving more accuracy. Aim: The current study aims to compare distinctiveness of the palatal rugae in gender of various age and to investigate if the specific palatal rugae pattern may be utilised as a strategy for sex estimation. Methods: Model casts of 200 people were created, segregated & the prominent elevations on both the sides of median palatal raphae was analysed. The statistical analysis to compare the proportions was presented. Result: Wavy rugae patterns are more prevalent in males whereas curved rugae patterns in females. Conclusion: Association of palatal rugae behold the potential key in establishing the person’s sex which is crucially importa nce. Keywords: Forensic odontology, Palatal rugoscopy, Sex investigating. INTRODUCTION N Forensic Odontology is one of the rapidly emerging branch specialised for criminal investigations, recognition of unknown person and also in identifying missing person in various disaster conditions.1 Most important tool needed for such investigation are biological evidences which sometime get deteriorated and degraded particularly when they are not collected, dispatched or stored appropriately.2 In such cases, palatoscopy is a vital technique which is comprised of personal identification established on the anatomical and morphological feature of hard-palate mucosa.3 Furthermore, the palate form certain patterns as it has many ridges and depressions of mucous membrane which is the unique characteristic mark and remain uniform over the course of life known as palatal rugae.4 It is an antero-posterior narrow central groove that is surrounded on either side by a ridge in the hard epithelial palate. This study thoroughly reveals the gender differences and individual peculiarity in rugae patterns. Moreover, DNA fingerprinting is reliable yet costly and time-consuming technique if used on massive populations.5 It can be used successfully as a tool of identification for gender determination, additionally it has low utilization cost, reliability and simple to investigate.6