An Assessment of the Correlation Between Tooth Size and Agenesis of Maxillary Lateral Incisor in Subjects Undergoing Orthodontic Treatment

Abstract

Background and objective Occlusion rehabilitation and restoration are difficult in subjects with congenitally missing lateral incisors, either unilaterally or bilaterally, and often lead to malocclusion and warrant replacement. The present study was conducted to assess the agenesis of maxillary lateral incisor unilaterally and bilaterally and to examine tooth size discrepancy in agenesis subjects undergoing orthodontic treatment. Materials and methods We assessed 32 dental casts of both genders (17 males and 15 females) with missing maxillary lateral incisors either unilaterally or bilaterally. Mesiodistal dimensions were measured and a comparison of tooth sizes was done for control and test groups. The data were assessed and the results were documented. Results Lateral incisors of the maxillary arch were statistically smaller in the test group compared to the control group. This was true for both males and females (p=0.001 for both). A similar finding was observed with respect to the overall study group (p<0.0001). Conclusion Based on our findings, maxillary lateral incisor agenesis plays a role in malocclusion development.