Abstract

Background: The congenital absence of teeth results from disturbance during the initial stage of tooth formation. The teeth most often missing are the second premolars, the maxillary lateral incisors, and the third molars. In this study, we aim to analyze a large sample to obtain a clear and valid picture of congenitally missing maxillary lateral incisors (agenesis) or any other abnormalities related to maxillary lateral incisors. This agenesis could be the cause of malocclusion and will affect methods of treatment.
Methods: A cross-sectional design will be used to retrieve patient’s information prior to 2020 from medical records using panoramic radiographs. A total of 2,500 Saudi males and females with an age range of 12-30 years old in a military hospital in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) participated in the study.
Results: The findings indicate that agenesis of maxillary lateral incisors was present in 5.01% with no statistically significant difference between unilateral and bilateral occurrence. Malformation was observed more on the left side (5.21%) with a significant difference in missing between the right and left. Regarding gender, it was more frequent in females than males (66.12%).
Conclusion: The prevalence of congenitally missing teeth in this sample study in a military hospital was within the range of reported data in the literature for other populations. The most significant finding was the gender difference with a higher presence in females than in males.

Key words: Congenitally missing, hypodontia, lateral incisor, agenesis, prevalence, anomaly.