Ectopic Eruption of First Permanent Molars for Pediatric Patients Attended King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Radiographic Study

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis and intervention of ectopically erupting first permanent molars (FPMs) are vital to avoiding later complex surgical or/and orthodontic treatment. Selection of proper type of intervention and simple treatment is considered as more convenient to use with children. PURPOSE: The aim of this retrospective radiographic cross-sectional study was to assess the prevalence and severity of ectopically erupting FPMs in children attending the Dental University Teaching Hospital (DUTH) at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted using panoramic radiographs (OPGs) of 2014 patients (973 females and 1041 males) aged from 5 to 8 years old who attended DUTH at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We assessed and recorded the age and gender of the subjects, the tooth number, arch, and location of the ectopic erupted FPMs, and the severity of resorption of the roots of the primary molars. RESULTS: Of 2014 reviewed OPGs, 45 (2.2%) cases were diagnosed with an ectopic eruption of the permanent first molar. The distribution of ectopic eruption based on gender showed that there was a higher prevalence in males 28 (2.9%) than in females 17 (1.6%). Of the 45 ectopic FPMs cases, 47 (78.33%) were detected in the maxilla, while 13 (21.66%) were seen in the mandible. Severe and moderate degrees of the ectopic eruption were found to be more common in the maxilla than in the mandible (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Clinicians should be aware of such conditions, as early diagnosis is essential for providing optimum dental care. To our knowledge, this study is the first to assess the prevalence of ectopically erupting FPMs in a Saudi population.