ROLE OF RADIOGRAPHIC EVALUATION IN TREATMENT PLANNING FOR PATIENTS WITH MISSING UPPER LATERAL INCISORS

Abstract

One of the dental conditions, which require a complex approach to diagnosis and treatment, is adentia of permanent upper lateral incisors that significantly affects the appearance of an individual regardless of gender. The purpose of the study is to identify the prevalence of adentia of permanent upper lateral incisors and to evaluate the accompanying factors that influence the choice of treatment strategy. A total of 1007 orthopantomograms of patients with malocclusions were analyzed, and 42 patients aged 5–20 years who had no permanent upper lateral incisors were selected. The following factors were taken into account: gender, age, type of adentia, space in the place of missing incisors, presence of rudimentary and supernumerary teeth, other missing teeth, and the presence of the third upper and lower molars, location of permanent canines and their rudiments. The results of our study demonstrate the prevalence of adentia of permanent upper lateral incisors is 4.17%. Symmetrical or bilateral adentia of lateral incisors is more common and detected in 64.3% of the patients. The presence of space in the dentition in the area of ​​missing upper lateral incisors is found in 64.3% of patients. Thus, in the presence of preserved temporary lateral incisors, diastemas, additional dentitions that contribute to orthodontic correction in creating a full-fledged place for the restoration of the tooth row defect in the area of ​​the lateral incisors, the replacement of missing teeth by implant placement or the replacement of the defect with non-removable aesthetic orthopaedic structures is recommended. If there is no free space in the dentition due to the displacement of the canines towards the direction of the defect, the transformation of the crown part of the canines by applying restoration technique can be recommended. Determining the peculiarities of treatment planning for adentia of the lateral incisors, taking into account the occlusal relations, seems to be promising task for further research.