Abstract
BackgroundThe study of dental anomalies is important because it generates information that is important for both the anthropological and clinical management of patients. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence and pattern of presentation of dental hard-tissue developmental anomalies in the mix dentition of children residing in Ile-Ife, a suburban region of Nigeria.MethodsInformation on age, sex and socioeconomic status was collected from 1,036 children aged four months to 12 years through a household survey. Clinical examination was conducted to assess the presence of dental anomalies. Associations between age, sex, socioeconomic status, prevalence, and pattern of presentation of the developmental hard-tissue dental anomalies were determined.ResultTwo hundred and seventy six (26.6%) children had dental anomalies. Of these, 23.8% had one anomaly, 2.5% had two anomalies, and 0.3% had more than two anomalies. Of the children with anomalies, 49.3%were male, 50.7%were female, and 47.8%, 28.6% and 23.6% were children from low, middle and high socioeconomic classes, respectively. More anomalies were seen in permanent than primary dentition. Anomalies of tooth structure were most prevalent (16.1%); anomalies which affect tooth number were least prevalent (1.3%). Dens evaginatus, peg-shaped lateral, macrodontia, and talon cusp were more prevalent in the permanent dentition, and dens evaginatus peg-shaped lateral and macrodontia were more prevalent in the maxilla. There were significantly more macrodontia anomalies in males and in children of high socioeconomic status.ConclusionThis large survey of dental hard-tissue anomalies found in the primary dentition and mixed dentition of children in Nigeria provides anthropological and clinical data that may aid the detection and management of dental problems of children in Nigeria.
Highlights
The study of dental anomalies is important because it generates information that is important for both the anthropological and clinical management of patients
Children excluded from the study were those who had a medical condition or syndrome associated with tooth anomalies, those who had cleft palate, and those with a history of diseases that could increase the risk for developing dental anomalies, such as maternal syphilis
Socioeconomic status for the purpose of this study was obtained through a multiple item scoring index [24] used in prior studies in Nigeria [25,26]
Summary
The study of dental anomalies is important because it generates information that is important for both the anthropological and clinical management of patients. Form, number and structure of the teeth may occur due to abnormal events in embryologic development. These events may be caused by genetic and environmental factors during the morpho-differentiation or histo-differentiation stages of tooth development [1]. Asymptomatic, these anomalies can lead to clinical problems, including delayed or non-eruption of the normal series of teeth; attrition; breast feeding problems; compromised esthetics; occlusal interference; accidental cusp fracture; interference with tongue space, causing difficulty in speech and mastication; temporomandibular joint pain and dysfunction; malocclusion; periodontal problems because of excessive occlusal force; post-eruptive tooth breakdown; and increased susceptibility to caries [2,3,4,5,6]. Sex differences in the prevalence of these dental anomalies were not observed
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