Dental age estimation of young subjects with unilateral palatally displaced canine teeth.

INTRODUCTION

Delayed tooth eruption is often seen in patients with palatally displaced canines (PDC), but there is controversy over whether tooth formation is also delayed. This study attempts to elucidate the answer by addressing methodological shortcomings in previous studies.

METHODS

Archived records were searched, and 100 patients (aged 8-16 years) with unilateral PDC were identified. Records of 50 women and 50 men were matched for age and sex with unaffected controls. The exclusion criteria included hypodontia. Dental age (DA) was calculated using the population-specific Maltese database and subtracted from the chronological age (CA). Nonparametric tests were used to compare CA-DA in patients with PDC and controls to determine the DA of end-of-series teeth.

RESULTS

No statistically significant difference with CA-DA between patients with PDC and controls was found. In addition, there were no particular teeth significantly delayed in development.

CONCLUSIONS

Unilateral PDC does not affect dental developmental age, and the end-of-series teeth investigated show no delay in development.