Prevalência de retenções dentárias nos utentes adultos da Clínica Universitária da Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Objectives The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of teeth eruption anomalies in a population of the University's Dental Clinic, as well as its characterization. Methods To accomplish this we conducted a, retrospective, observational analysis of 2977 panoramic radiographs, corresponding to the adult patients who were referred to the University Clinic of the Catholic University of Portugal in Viseu from 2011 to 2013. The cases that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed according to variables such as gender, age, Winter's classification, Pell and Gregory's classification, anatomical characteristics of roots and their relationship with the mandibular canal, three‐dimensional location and orientation, location and orientation in the sagittal plane and comorbidities associated with retention. Results Among the various results shown, we note that 16.6% of the population studied had retained teeth; the third molars were the group of teeth that were found more often retained; the most common positions of retained third molars were vertical and class IIA of Pell and Gregory; the inferior alveolar nerve is presented in close relation with the roots of the third molars in about 45% of the cases; the palatal retention of the canine is much more common than the vestibular one and the cases of transmigration are rare. Conclusions Despite the limitations of panoramic radiography, it is an important exam for early diagnosis and evaluation of retained teeth, allowing us to determine prevalences with reliable results