Supernumerary teeth amongst Iranian orthodontic patients. A retrospective radiographic and clinical survey

Abstract

Objective. To investigate the prevalence, characteristics (malocclusion, location, type) and gender distribution of supernumerary teeth (ST) in an Iranian orthodontic population. Material and methods. A retrospective study was carried out using radiographs (periapicals, panoramic) and study models of 1751 subjects (870 girls, 881 boys; age range 9–27 years). The Pearson chi-square test was used to determine differences in the distribution of ST when stratified by gender and malocclusion type. Results. Fourteen ST were found in 13 patients (six males, seven females), giving a prevalence rate of 0.74%. The prevalence rate of ST was higher in Class III malocclusions (5.2%) and was a rare finding among Class II malocclusions (0.1%). The occurrence rate of ST was higher in maxilla (78.5%) than in mandible (21.5%). The most common type of ST was the conical form (43%). We did not observe any late-developing paramolar or distomolar ST. Conclusion. The prevalence rate of ST in our study was 0.74% and ST were more common among Class III malocclusions.