Morphometric Evaluation of Hard Palate in Indian Male and Female Skulls

Introduction: The palate is an integral part of head that forms the floor of the nasal cavity and the roof of the oral cavity. The knowledge of morphology and morphometry of hard palate is important for anatomists, dentists, anthropologists, and forensic experts. The aim of the present study is to describe the morphology and morphometric variations of the hard palate as seen in Indian male and female skulls. The observations made in the present study were compared with those in earlier studies on skulls belonging to different races. Materials and Methods: The study sample consists of adult Indian human dried skulls. Intact skulls of known sex with obliterated spheno-occipital suture were included in the study. Skulls with obvious pathological malformations were excluded from the study. The measurements of hard palate were taken using digital vernier calipers. The length, width and depth of palate were noted in male and female skulls at different sites and compared. Results: In the present study we found that there are significant differences between male and female palatal dimensions. These can be deployed to compare with other population. The size of palate is larger in males group than females and the average difference in the palatal depth is significantly higher in males than females this simply reflect the greater overall breadth of male skull in any given ethnic group Conclusion: Morphologic and morphometric knowledge of hard palate is advantageous in many fields of medical science. The present study based on Indian population of known gender can be used to compare data with other population.