Radiographic Evaluation of Dental Anomaly Prevalence in a Selected Iranian Population

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Many studies have explored the prevalence of dental anomalies, with conflicting results, possibly attributed to differences in the ethnicities of the populations evaluated. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of dental anomalies, using panoramic images, in an Iranian population. MATERIALS AND METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, panoramic radiographs of patients aged 18 years or more, between 2015 and 2017 from three private clinics in Babol and Sari, were evaluated for presence or absence of anomalies (tooth shape, number, structure, and position). Data were analyzed using the chi square test, Student’s t-test, and analyses of variance. In this study, p ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Of 8018 cases examined, anomalies were found in 2250 cases (28.06%), with 95% confidence intervals of 27.08 - 29.0; one, two, and more than two types of anomalies were observed in 1968 (24.5%), 267 (3.3%), and 15 (0.2%) cases, respectively. Root dilaceration was the most prevalent anomaly (7.7%), followed by dens invaginatus (3.8%). Impaction was observed with a prevalence of 15.2%. Impaction, dens invaginatus, and missing teeth were significantly more prevalent in women than in men, whilst supernumerary teeth and hypercementosis were more common in men than in women (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION: Regarding the relatively high prevalence of dental anomalies such as root dilacerations and dens invaginatus, it is essential to consider these anomalies carefully in treatment decision-making.