RESUMO
Background: The hard palate is important for feeding, mastication and speech. Mammals with a defective hardpalate may die shortly after birth due to the inability to suckle. The interaction between tongue and hard palateis essential in the formation of certain speech sounds. In high arched palate, a proper palate-lingual contact isnot achieved, resulting in defective articulation. Surgically, the anatomy of hard palate can be modified by usingPalatal Height Index measurement, which could lead to the improvisation of palato-lingual contact andarticulation. This study aims to determine the Palatal height index.Results: After taking detail history of the subjects, the qualitative and quantitative parameters were measuredand then compared between the normal group (n=60) and high arched palate group (n=60) to know the statisticalsignificance between the two groups. The qualitative parameters measured in this study were shape of hardpalate, permanent dentition, microdontia, spacing of teeth, missing of teeth, eruption time of teeth, crowding ofteeth, malalignment, and malocclusion. The quantitative parameters measured in this study were average linearwidth, average height and palatal height index. Impressions of hard palate were taken through the prepared cast.From the prepared cast average linear width, average height and palatine height index were measured. The mean± SD value of average linear width measured between two molars was found to be 3.82 ± 0.32 in normal and 3.46± 0.17 in high arched palate subjects. The mean ± SD value of average height measured between two molars was1.58 ± 0.26 in normal and 2.06 ± 0.2 in high arched palate subjects. The mean ± SD value of palatine height indexmeasured between two molars was 41.98 ± 9.82 in normal and 59.69 ± 5.81 in high arched palate subjects.Conclusion: Palatal height index was high in the study group when compared to the normal group of similar agedcandidates and the results were found to be statistically significant. Crowding of incisors and canines,malocclusion, malalignment, absence of 2nd premolar, spacing of teeth were observed in high arched palategroup