Clinical treatment for supernumerary teeth in pediatric patients

Abstract

Supernumerary teeth (ST) are those formed additionally to the normal dental series. They may be found in any area of the maxilla or mandible with conical, tuberculate o supplementary shape. They may produce occlusal anomalies, and are associated with displacement, eruption disturbances or impaction of adjacent teeth. Objetive: The aim of this study is to describe frequency, associated anomalies and treatment outcome for ST in a group of pediatric patients, from Caracas, Venezuela. Material and methods: 823 orthodontic records (radiographs, photographs) of pediatric orthodontic patients were analyzed. ST shape and location were registered, as well as consequences on adjacent teeth and treatment outcome. Patients with syndromes, systemic disorders or clefts were excluded. Results: Frequency of ST was 5,47%, with male: female ratio of 1.8:1. Mean age at diagnosis was 8.18 (± 1.61). Conical shape was most frequent (45%) and anterior apical area was the most affected (90%). The 73,33% of all patients presented one ST, 22,22% presented two and 4,44% three ST. Displacement of adjacent teeth was observed in 53.3%. Treatment performed included extraction of ST (63.3%) and space for adjacent teeth was gained by expansion and dental arch conformation (87.5%). Spontaneous eruption of adjacent teeth occurred in all but 4 cases, which required orthodontic extrusion. Conclusion: Frequency of ST in this sample was higher than reported in other studies. Treatment outcome was favorable in most cases when extraction of ST and dental arch conformation were performed in the mixed dentition, by multidisciplinary team that included pediatric dentistry and oral surgeon.