Prevalence of isolated maxillary lateral incisor agenesis in Syrian adolescents.

PURPOSE: This research is designed to obtain a better understanding and provide more insight of this phenomenon through evaluating the prevalence of congenital absence of maxillary lateral incisors in a Syrian population.

METHODS

The method involved clinical examination of 8000 school children with an equal number of males and females (age range 12-15 years) to identify students only affected by bilateral or unilateral congenital absence of maxillary lateral incisors. Agenesis was determined based on radiological evidence.

RESULTS

The results of this study showed that the prevalence of isolated maxillary lateral incisors agenesis was 1.15%. In the sample studied, 66.3% of the patients were female and 33.7% were male (p < 0.05). Absence was bilateral in 47.8% of patients and unilateral in 52.2%. Of the unilateral cases, 48% occurred on the right side and 52% on the left side, and the contralateral maxillary incisor was found to be microdont in 43.75%, right lateral in 47.6%, and left lateral in 52.4%.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study allow the conclusion that the prevalence of isolated maxillary lateral incisors agenesis in a Syrian population is within the average range with regard to other populations. A significant familial component to the etiology of maxillary lateral incisors agenesis was found.