Prevalence of developmental dental anomalies among adult population of Jazan, Saudi Arabia

ObjectiveThis study was intended to determine the prevalence of developmental dental anomalies (DDA) among adults attending the outpatient dental clinics of college of dentistry, Jazan University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The data obtained are expected to increase the understanding of their etiology and also aid for better management and prevention.Materials and methodsThe materials were retrieved from the files of patients reporting to the dental clinics of college of dentistry, Jazan University over a period of four months from December 2013 to March 2014. Panoramic radiographs of 1000 patients (500 males and 500 females) with an age range of 18–40 years were examined for anomalies in teeth number, shape, size and position. Descriptive statistics was performed using SPSS 20 and the value of significance obtained using Chi square and Fisher exact test. The level of significance was set at 95% confidence level.ResultsThe prevalence of DDA was 37.8% and distributed equally in both the sexes. The most common anomaly was rotation (20.2%) followed by ectopic eruption (7.6%). Microdontia (0.9%), supernumerary roots (0.7%), macrodontia (0.6%) and transposition (0.3%) were less common. The prevalence of rotation is statistically significant (p < 0.05).Discussion and conclusionA significant number of patients had DDA. The prevalence of rotation was high and associated with other common dental diseases. Comparison of our data with other studies showed variation in their prevalence suggesting the influence of genetic and environmental factors. The high prevalence of DDA suggests the need for proper diagnosis, intervention and treatment. Further research into etiological factors for dental anomaly presentation in adults in Saudi Arabia could create awareness and guide preventive strategies to assist in minimizing the associated dental problems.