Tooth agenesis and dental development in a Spanish population: a retrospective cross-sectional study

Abstract Background. The purpose of this retrospective cross-sectional study conducted in the Spanish population, was to determine whether dental development is delayed in pediatric patients with agenesis. Dental development in children with agenesis was studied. The comparison of the average difference between chronological and dental age in the total sample was carried out to determine the validity of the maturation table for the Spanish population. Lastly we studied the potential influence of the variables sex, number of agenesis, location of the agenesis. Results. The total sample studied included a total of 114 panoramic radiographs, corresponding to boys and girls between 5 and 16 years of ag, with a mean age of 9.4 years (+/- 2.5 S.D). The case group included 53 radiographs (26 boys and 27 girls with agenesis); the control group included 61 panoramic radiographs (27 boys and 34 girls without agenesis). Dental age was determined applying Demirjian`s method and specific maturation tables for the Spanish population. The mean age estimated using the Demirjian method for the Spanish population was lower than the chronological age of the sample in all groups (mean dental age: 9.054, mean chronological age: 9,354).The difference between chronological and dental age in the global sample was significantly delayed, with the global difference being 0.3 years and in particular 0.2852 years in the girls and 0.3151 years in boys. Conclusions. Dental development was more delayed in children with agenesis, and in girls with agenesis than in boys, despite the earlier development of girls. Dental development is earlier than the development that is supposed to exist in the Spanish population, obtained using the method studied by Demirjian with the conversion tables for the Spanish population. Imprecise data is obtained in patients with agenesis as chronological age does not correspond to dental age. However chronological and dental age difference is minimal in patients without agenesis, determining the validity of the maturation tables fot the Spanish population in this group of patients. The later dental development of children with agenesis is influenced by sex, the number of agenesis and the posterior and mandibular location of agenesis.