Prevalence of midline diastema and its correlation with high frenal attachment

Abstract

The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of midline diastema in the South Indian population and to find its correlation with high frenal attachment. The study includes patients visiting the department of orthodontics. The data was collected from the digital archives of the institution. Intraoral photos were assessed. A total 305 patients who reported to the department of orthodontics from June 2019 to March 2020 were screened. The causes of diastema namely presence of high frenal attachment, generalised spacing and periodontal disease, were evaluated. The results were statistically analysed using chi-square tests and graphs were tabulated. A total of 305 patients were screened, among which midline diastema was present in 22.3% (68) of the cases. High frenal attachment was found in 52%, generalised spacing in 36% and periodontal disease in 12% of the cases. The mean age of the patient was 23±5.25 years. The incidence of midline diastema was found to be 22%. High frenal attachment was found to be the most common etiology.