The prevalence of tooth agenesis and hyperdontia in children in La Serena, Chile

Abstract

Introduction: Tooth development is determined by both genetic and environmental factors, and tooth agenesis and hypodontia can lead to malocclusion and impacted teeth. Objective: To analyze the prevalence and distribution of non-syndromic tooth agenesis and hyperdontia in children aged from 5 to 16 years-old at a private dental clinic in La Serena, Chile. Material and methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study of 667 patients aged from 5 to 16 years-old based on panoramic radiographies taken in 2022-2023. Children using dental braces were excluded from the study. The agenesis of third molars was not included in the data. Stata 18.0 was used. Results: The sample was composed of 56% girls and 44% boys. The prevalence of agenesis was found to be 5.8% on average, with 7.0% of girls and 4.4% of boys (p 0.03) missing one or more teeth. The most commonly affected teeth were the maxillary second premolars.  The prevalence of hyperdontia was 4.2%, with the mesiodens being the most common at 2.7%, more common in boys than in girls (p 0.05). The prevalence of hyperdontia in deciduous teeth was found to be 0.7%. Conclusion: The prevalence of agenesis is greater than has been previously reported in Chilean studies (3.02% to 4.2%); international studies have found a prevalence of between 3.9% and 6.7%. The most commonly affected tooth also differs from the findings of other studies. The prevalence of hyperdontia is greater than that found in international studies (0.1% to 3.9%) but lower than that found in a regional study (Peru, 6.7%). No Chilean studies were available on the subject. The prevalence of hyperdontia in deciduous teeth was found to be in line with the results of international studies (0.3% to 1.8%).