Prevalence of Impacted Teeth at a Dental School Orthodontic Clinic, Johannesburg, South Africa

Abstract

Objective Tooth impaction is commonly seen in dental practice. Early diagnosis of tooth impaction could reduce treatment time, complexity, complications and costs. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of impacted teeth in orthodontic patients treated at a dental school in Johannesburg. Materials and methods A retrospective, record review, cross-sectional study from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2019 was conducted. Pre-treatment orthodontic panoramic radiographs were reviewed for impacted teeth. The type and level of impaction of all the teeth were classified using various classification systems for incisors, canines, premolars and molars. The distribution of impactions according to the affected jaw (mandible or maxilla) and affected side (left/right) was determined. All statistical tests were conducted at 5% significance level. Results We evaluated 323 panoramic radiographs, of which 113 (35%) had at least one impacted tooth. The median age of the sample was 12 years (IQR 9; 18) years, and a female-to-male ratio of 1:1.31. The total number of impacted teeth was 251, and 155 (61.8%) were in the maxillary arch, while 96(38.2%) were in the mandibular arch. The most impacted teeth were the maxillary canines (n=70; 27.9%), followed by mandibular third molars (n=49; 19.5%) and then maxillary third molars (n=41; 16.3%). Males accounted for 55.7% of mandibular impaction and 58.4% of maxillary impactions. Statistical analysis revealed a significant association between the side and maxillary impactions (P=0.002). Furthermore, age was significantly associated with mandibular impaction (P<0.001). Conclusions The prevalence of tooth impaction was 35.0%. The maxillary canines were the most impacted teeth, followed by the mandibular third molars. Early detection of impacted teeth can help with early intervention to prevent the severity of malocclusion.