Anterior maxillary supernumerary teeth

Resident’s Name: Joanne Lewis Date: March 20, 2009
Article title: Anterior maxillary supernumerary teeth: A clinical and radiographic study
Author(s): Thomas von Arx, DMD
Journal: Australian Dental Journal
Volume (number): 37(3)
Year: 1992
Major topic: Anterior maxillary supernumerary teeth
Type of Article: chart review
Main Purpose: To investigate the clinical and radiographic features associated with anterior maxillary supernumerary teeth.
Overview of method of research: The patient records for 90 patients treated at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for anterior maxillary supernumerary teeth were evaluated. The following features for these patients were studied: age and sex, number of mesiodens per patient, clinical symptoms, stage of eruption, direction and location, width of pericoronal space, external crown resorption, retention of permanent incisors, malposition of permanent incisors, root resorption of permanent incisors, and central or lateral diastema formation. A total of 113 anterior maxillary supernumerary teeth were examined.
Findings: 65 male and 25 female patients were examined, with a sex ratio of 2.6 to 1. The predominant age group was from 6 to 10 years of age. A majority (78%) had only one supernumerary tooth. Clinical symptoms were found in only 2 of the cases. Most of the supernumerary teeth (94%) did not erupt at all and remained completely embedded. In terms of location, the majority (87%) of the teeth were lying palatally to the dental arch. Three cases had large dentigerous cysts, and 8 of 9 teeth with complete absence of the pericoronal space showed external crown resorption with 7 of these patients being older than 40 years. 39 permanent incisors in 26 patients were unerupted due to the supernumerary teeth. Malposition of the neighboring permanent incisors was seen in 24 cases. Diastemas were caused in 12 cases. No root resorption of permanent incisors was seen.
Key points/Summary: The results underscore the need for early detection and treatment of supernumerary teeth. Supernumerary anterior teeth should be extracted to avoid possible effects on neighboring teeth and cyst development.
Assessment of article: Good reasons to extract supernumerary teeth.