Prevalência de retenções dentárias nos utentes adultos da clínica Universitária Católica Portuguesa

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of dental retention has been studied for a long time, relying, mainly, on large samples of panoramic radiographs. However, despite a general agreement regarding the high rate of dental retention, there is no consensus about which teeth are more affected, thus resulting in a varied range of percentages with respect to the total retentions and the type of tooth retained. Objective: 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. Methodology: To accomplish this we conducted a, retrospective, observational analysis of 3507 panoramic radiographs, corresponding to the adult patients who were referred to the University Clinic of the Catholic University of Portugal in Viseu in the last 3 years. 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. Conclusion: 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.

Date of Award	7 Jul 2013
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Rui Amaral Mendes (Supervisor) & Bruno Leitão (Supervisor)