A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF PALATAL HEIGHT IN A SAUDI AND EGYPTIAN POPULATION

The present study constitutes an attempt to compare normal traits for palatal height and width at different stages of dentition development of two ethnic groups of the Middle East. The observations were obtaine d from 346 randomly selected normal subjects, 188 Saudis and 158 Egypt ians. The stone models were divided into three categories in both grou ps - primary, mixed and permanent dentitions. Palatal index values wer e calculated at two levels. Vernier calipers were used to measure the palatal width. Palatal depth was measured by profile Gauge by Vitrex. The results of this study demonstrate no significant difference betwee n ethnic groups at levels 1 and 2 in relation to the palatal height, w idth and index. For both groups, palatal index increased significantly from the primary to mixed and permanent dentition at level 1. At leve l 2, palatal index and height showed decreases in measurement in the m ixed dentition compared with the primary and the permanent dentitions. Subjective assessment of the palatal height correlated with palatal i ndex. The casts were then labelled so that the shallow group had the s mallest palatal index followed by the normal and the deep group had th e largest palatal index. The results contribute to the information ava ilable on the development of palatal shape within two Middle Eastern p opulations. Knowledge of the normal range in shape can act as a baseli ne for studies of certain oral developmental abnormalities.