The Incidence of the Tooth Agenesis in Students of Dentistry at Palacký University in Olomouc

Overview

Aim of the study:
Tooth agenesis is very often developmental anomaly. The prevalence of this disorder differs depending on several factors. Different results can be observed in populations on different continents, in different races and genders, and in primary and permanent dentition as well. What is more, the results are influenced by the quality of the file, methods applied during the research and definitions of particular terms. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of agenesis of teeth except third molars in students of dentistry program at Palacký University in Olomouc, to compare the frequency in women and men, to set the frequency of lesion of particular morphological classes of the teeth and to compare the results with our former work focused on the frequency of tooth agenesis in girls and boys at the age from eight to nineteen and with other studies.

Material and methods:
The study was conducted from 1.2.2013 to 30.6.2014. Students of the second up to the fifth year of dentistry program at Palacký University in Olomouc were examined clinically and X-rays were taken to diagnose tooth agenesis. Only healthy individuals were included in the study. The data received in the examination were statistically evaluated.

Results:
343 students (244 women and 99 men) were examined. The agenesis of at least one tooth excluding third molars was observed in 22 individuals (18 women and 4 men), the prevalence was set on 6.41% (7.38% in women, 4.04% in men). Total number of missing teeth was 40, that is 1.82 of missing tooth in one individual. The highest number of missing teeth was five, no one missed more than six teeth. The most often missing teeth were second lower molars.

Conclusion:
Our case study demonstrates the prevalence of agenesis except third molars in students of dentistry program at Palacký University in Olomouc. The results were compared with our former study, and with epidemiological investigation conducted in the Czech Republic in 1970s (Racek J. a kol. 1979, Marková M., Taichmanová Z. 1985), and with foreign studies (Bäckman B., Wahlin Y.B. 2001., Polder B.J. a kol. 2004). Statistically significant lower prevalence was observed in the incidence of the agenesis on upper lateral incisors in comparison with children and adolescents in Olomouc region and in the studies conducted by Bäckman and Wahlin. The rest of the results were not statistically significantly different.

Keywords:
tooth agenesis – hypodontia – oligodontia – anodontia