A Statistical Study on Characteristics and Treatment of Child and Adolescent Patients with Tooth Impaction

Impacted teeth are teeth with a delayed eruption time or that are expected to erupt incompletely. Those teeth can cause a series of potential problems such as root displacement and resorption, periodontal problems in adjacent teeth, referred pain and the formation of cysts and odontogenic tumors. The purpose of this study was to investigate characteristics and treatment of child and adolescent patients younger than 15 years of age that were diagnosed with an impacted tooth who visited the Chosun University Dental Hospital. The impacted tooth, its etiology, treatment and traction period were surveyed through electric medical records, radiographs in 335 patients. We excluded the impacted third molar, supernumerary and deciduous teeth from this study. The most frequently impacted teeth are upper canine, followed by the upper incisor. The most common etiologies of impaction were an abnormal eruption pathway and localized pathologic lesions. The treatment of an impacted tooth was mostly orthodontic traction. The traction period was relatively short in cases with distinct obstacles, with an impacted upper incisor and if patients were younger. An orthodontic traction is considered to be more unfavorable if the patient gets older. Therefore, an early diagnosis and a precise treatment plan through a regular check-ups are mandatory.