Asociación entre agenesia dental y maloclusión en pacientes pediátricos

Introduction: Dental agenesis is the most common developmental anomaly in humans, frequently associated with malocclusion with functional consequences. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the association between dental agenesis and malocclusion in a group of children from the Caracas Metropolitan area in Venezuela. Materials and methods: 1,188 panoramic radiographs and 648 sets of orthodontic records, from healthy patients ages 5 to 18 years old were studied for agenesis of permanent teeth, excluding third molars. Malocclusion was diagnosed using Angle’s classification. Descriptive analyses, as well as differences between means and correlations were performed, (Student t test, Pearson’s p=0.05, odds ratio). Results: Prevalence of dental agenesis was 5.6%, (mean 1.64). Females were most affected (1.44:1). The most affected teeth were the second mandibular premolars (35.19%), followed by the lateral maxillary incisors. Higher prevalence of malocclusion was found in the agenesis group (Class I 52%, Class II 31%, Class III 17%) when compared to the control group (Class I 77%, Class II 14%, Class III 9%). Significant positive correlation was found between increased number of affected teeth and Class III malocclusion. Conclusion: Prevalence and distribution of dental agenesis were variable between genders; being females most affected. Correlation between number of affected teeth and Class III maloclusion presented statistical significance.