Developmental Disturbances Associated With Agenesis of The Permanent Maxillary Lateral Incisor
Developmental Disturbances Associated With Agenesis of The Permanent Maxillary Lateral Incisor
Developmental Disturbances Associated With Agenesis of The Permanent Maxillary Lateral Incisor
RESEARCH
Developmental disturbances
associated with agenesis
of the permanent maxillary
lateral incisor
T. Pinho,1 P. Maciel2 and C. Pollmann3
The aim of this study was to characterise the intra and extra-oral phenotype associated with agenesis of the permanent
maxillary lateral incisor. We compared three groups: (1) subjects with agenesis of one or both permanent maxillary lateral
incisors (n = 80); (2) first and second degree relatives of group 1 with no agenesis of the permanent maxillary lateral
incisor and (3) subjects with no agenesis of the maxillary lateral incisor or family history of it (n = 49). For each of the
201 subjects detailed clinical information was reviewed and panoramic radiographs were analysed. Considering only the
sample with unilateral agenesis, microdontia of the contralateral permanent maxillary lateral incisor was significantly more
frequent in group 1 (82.4%) than in group 2 (25%) and the control group (2%). This supports the theory that microdontia
is a variable expression of the same developmental disturbance that causes tooth agenesis. The absence of third molars
occurred more often in group 1 (36.2%) than in groups 2 and 3 (18.6% and 18.9% respectively), confirming that agenesis
of third molars was markedly associated with the agenesis of the permanent maxillary lateral incisor. Agenesis of teeth
other than third molars was not significantly different among subjects with agenesis of the permanent maxillary lateral
incisor and their relatives. The frequencies of supernumerary teeth, permanent maxillary canine impaction, general health
condition and minor anomalies were not significantly different between the three groups.
INTRODUCTION
A tooth is defined to be congenitally missing if it has not erupted in the oral cavity
and is not visible from radiography and
has not been extracted or accidentally lost.
Congenital lack of a tooth (hypodontia)
results from a disturbance during the early
stages of tooth development. Hypodontia is
relatively frequent in the permanent dentition, with a reported incidence of between
3.5% and 8.8%, excluding third molars,
and higher values if considering the
third molars.1-11 It is also more frequently
observed in females, although differences
in gender distribution have been reported
among populations.1,5,6,10,12-14
1*
Centro de Investigao Cincias da Sade (CICS),
Instituto Superior de Cincias da Sade-Norte/CESPU,
Portugal; 2Life and Health Sciences Research Institute
(ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho,
Braga, Portugal; 3Faculty of Dental Medicine (FMDUP),
Universidade do Porto, Portugal
*Correspondence to: Teresa Pinho, Centro de
Investigao Cincias da Sade (CICS), Instituto
Superior de Cincias da Sade-Norte/CESPU, Rua
Central de Gandra, 1317, 4585-116 Gandra, PRD,
Portugal Email: teresa.pinho@iscsn.cespu.pt
RESEARCH
involved in third molar agenesis and of
other teeth are the same.
The paradoxical frequency of a malpositioned maxillary permanent canine in
the case of agenesis or microdontia of the
permanent maxillary lateral incisor shows
the importance that these teeth have as
the guiding tooth of the eruption path of
the canine. According to some authors,2,28,30
in order to achieve an early diagnosis of
impacted canines, one should take into
consideration the importance of the root
of the permanent maxillary lateral incisor
in the eruption of the canine tooth. Some
authors suggest 29,31 that these two phenomena might involve the same or similar
genetic factors. In contrast, Brenchley and
Oliver 32 did not observe any association
between ectopic maxillary canines and
agenesis or microdontia of the permanent maxillary lateral incisor. However,
they found a correlation with Class II
Div 2 malocclusion, probably due to the
displacement of the adjacent permanent
maxillary lateral incisor.
The simultaneous occurrence of agenesis
and supernumerary teeth is uncommon33,35
and it is more frequent in the permanent
than the primary dentition.33
In some syndromes there are typical patterns of hypodontia, while in others the
congenital reduction in teeth number is
described as sporadic. Anodontia (congenital absence of teeth) is rare,36 and is often
associated with ectodermal dysplasia.37
Hypohidrotic ectodermic dysplasia is
the most common form of ectodermic
dysplasia in humans and is estimated to
affect at least 1 in 17,000. Most people
with hypohidrotic ectodermic dysplasia
have hypohidrosis, hypotricosis and teeth
that are agenesis or malformed.37,39 There
are other syndromes like Riegers syndrome where hypodontia is a main feature
too.40 For Schalk Van Der Weide et al.,41
the patients with oligodontia/I (isolated)
showed a low degree of association of
extra-oral signs and with combinations of
just one or two ectodermic anomalies. On
the contrary, patients with oligodontia/S
(Syndrome) show a strong tendency to
present a combination of three or more
ectodermic anomalies.
The purpose of this retrospective study
was to investigate intra-oral and some
general anomalies associated with agenesis
of the permanent maxillary lateral incisor
RESULTS
Sample analysis
In group 1 (n = 80) there were 46 (57.5%)
subjects with bilateral agenesis of the permanent maxillary lateral incisor and 34
(42.5%) with unilateral agenesis of the
permanent maxillary lateral incisor. From
these 34 subjects, 20 (34%) were missing
the right lateral incisor and 14 (17.5%) the
left lateral incisor. Ages ranged from nine
to 76 years (average 26.01 14.32). Fiftyfour (67.5%) were female and 26 (32.5%)
were male.
In group 2 (n = 72) ages ranged from
nine to 75 years (average 29.7 14.5).
Thirty-nine (54.2%) were female, while
33 (45.8%) were male.
In group 3 (n = 49) ages ranged from
nine to 64 years (average 20.6 8.2).
Twenty-three (46.9%) were female and 26
(53.1%) were male.
RESEARCH
Table 1 Frequency of permanent maxillary lateral incisor microdontia in group 1 individuals with unilateral agenesis, group 2 relatives of group 1 (with no agenesis)
and group 3 the control group
Maxillary lateral incisor MICRODONTIA
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Total
No
12 and 22
12
22
Total
-*
12
16
34
17.6%
35.3%
47.1%
100.0%
54
14
72
75.0%
19.4%
1.4%
4.2%
100.0%
48
49
98.0%
2.0%
0%
0%
100.0%
108
15
13
19
155
69.7%
9.7%
8.4%
12.3%
100.0%
Group 2
Number
of cases
15,25
15,25,35,45
16,26,35
31
35
35,45
15
16,15,24,25,26,36,46
16,15,25,26,35,45
25
*Only 34 of 80 possible cases were evaluated on this analysis as the bilateral agenesis excludes the possibility of microdontia.
Table 3 Frequency of other associated dental agenesis, excluding third molars in group
1 - individuals with unilateral agenesis, group 2 relatives of group 1 (with no agenesis)
and group 3 the control group
Other associated dental agenesis, excluding third molars
Group 1
Group 2
Total
yes
No
Total
72
80
10.0%
90.0%
100.0%
68
72
5.6%
94.4%
100.0%
12
140
152
7.9%
92.1%
100.0%
Supernumerary teeth
In the 201 individuals selected, there
were two patients with supernumerary
teeth: one mesiodens (group 1) and one
associated with an odontoma (group 2).
Tooth transpositions
Tooth transpositions were not found.
Minor anomalies/clinical
manifestations
In the general examination, most of the
individuals included in the three groups
did not present any health problems (see
Table 6 for a detailed description of the
findings). Although minor anomalies
were relatively frequent, there was no
statistically significant difference in the
frequency of minor anomalies and other
clinical manifestations among the groups
(group 1: 20%; group 2 = 19.4%; group
3 = 20.4%; 2 = 0.018 df = 2, p >0.05).
Of notice, one patient had a bifid uvula
(group 1).
DISCUSSION
In this study, as in others5,13,15,46 some dental anomalies associated with agenesis of
permanent maxillary lateral incisor were
found. In accordance with Horowitz4 and
Nieminen et al.47 we also found that microdontia of the lateral incisor was the most
frequent associated tooth anomaly.
According to Arte et al.48 the prevalence
of the superior lateral incisors microdontia
RESEARCH
Number of
cases
18
48
18,28
18,38
38,48
18,28,48
18,38,48
18,28,38,48
18
28
48
28,48
38,48
18,28,48
18,28,38,48
18
28
48
18,28
18,38,48
18,28,38,48
Table 5 Frequency of third molar agenesis and maxillary lateral incisor agenesis (subjects
older than 15 years) in group 1 - individuals with unilateral agenesis, group 2 relatives of
group 1 (with no agenesis) and group 3 the control group
Third molar agenesis (age 15 and over)
Group 1
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 2
Group 3
Total
yes
No
Total
21
37
58
36.2%
63.8%
100.0%
11
48
59
18.6%
81.4%
100.0%
30
37
18.9%
81.1%
100.0%
39
115
154
25.3%
74.7%
100.0%
RESEARCH
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
CONCLUSION
There is an association between agenesis
of the permanent maxillary lateral incisor
and other tooth anomalies such as microdontia of the permanent maxillary lateral
incisor, both in the individual and their
relatives. Third molar absence is significantly more frequent in individuals with
agenesis of the permanent maxillary lateral incisor. This might indicate a common genetic mechanism controlling these
phenomena, influenced by several factors
interacting at different levels.
Agenesis of teeth other than third molars
was not significantly different between
subjects with agenesis of the permanent
maxillary lateral incisor and their relatives.
However, if third molars are excluded, we
found no other congenital absences in
subjects with no agenesis of the permanent maxillary lateral incisor or family
history of it.
Supernumerary teeth, maxillary canine
inclusion, the general condition of health
and minor anomalies were not appreciably
different in the three groups.
Minor anomalies/clinical
manifestations
Astigmatism; Myopia
Hypermetropia
Hypopigmentation in
lumbar zone; Myopia
Unpigmented spots
in the left leg
Myopia
Myopia
Myopia; Hypermetropia
Hyperconvex nails
Bifid uvula
Astigmatism; Myopia
Umbilical hernia
4.
Myopia
5.
6.
Psoriasis
Astigmatism
Myopia
Miopia; Astigmatism
Myopia; Teleangiectasias
Ear protrusion
Retinoblastoma
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
RESEARCH
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.