Unilateral vs Bilateral Maxillary Canine Impaction: A Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Study of Patterns and Associations.

Abstract

This retrospective study aimed to compare and evaluate the pattern of maxillary canine impaction and its association with other anomalies using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). A total of 59 CBCT records of patients (ages 12 and up) were divided into two groups: A total of 35 subjects with unilateral canine impactions and 24 subjects with bilateral canine impactions. The CBCT data were analyzed for the measurement of qualitative and quantitative variables. In unilateral canine impaction, the mesiodistal (MD) width of the central incisors and the nasal cavity (NC) width were wider (p < 0.05). The canine-palatal plane (U3-PP) distance was significantly longer in bilateral canine impaction (p < 0.05). The distance of the impacted canines from the palatal and mid-sagittal planes, the anterior dental arch width, and the maxillary skeletal width changed significantly with the position of the impacted canines (p < 0.05). Males had 0.185 odds of presenting with a bilateral canine impaction as compared to females (p = 0.025). The odds of having bilateral canine impaction with a longer canine-midsagittal plane (U3-MSP) distance was 1.30 (p = 0.003). The findings indicate a gender predilection with females showing a greater prevalence of bilateral canine impaction. Supernumerary teeth were associated with unilateral impacted canines and lower canine impaction with bilaterally impacted canines. Anomalies in the form of the maxillary central and lateral incisors, distance from the maxillary canine to the palatal plane and the mid-sagittal plane, NC width, maxillary skeletal width, and gender, are the best discriminating parameters between unilateral and bilateral canine impactions.