Nazir Ahmad, Mubassar Fida.
The frequency of impacted teeth in orthodontic patients: a study at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
J Pak Dent Assoc Jan ;17(1):12-6.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of impacted teeth in orthodontic patients who presented in our clinic, and to also see their distribution in different malocclusion groups, gender type and maxilla and mandible. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was conducted at the Agha Khan University Hospital, Karachi from January 2003 to June 2006. The material for this study consisted of pretreatment orthodontic casts and panoramic radiographs. All patients who visited our clinic during the above mentioned time were included in this study. Patients who were 12 years or above, having a full set of permanent teeth and whose pretreatment records were available were included in this study. Patients with developmental disorders/syndromes and impacted third molars were excluded. The total number of patients meeting the criteria was 201. RESULTS: Impacted teeth were found in 26 patients and the total number of impacted teeth in these was 44. Maxillary canines were found impacted in 20 cases, mandibular second premolars in 12 cases, maxillary second premolars in 6 cases and mandibular 2nd molars in 3 cases. In addition, one case each, of the impacted upper premolar, lower 1st premolar and upper 2nd molar, was found. Sixteen patients with impacted teeth were females and 10 patients were males. Twenty eight impacted teeth were found in the maxilla and 16 in the mandible. CONCLUSIONS: Almost 13% of the patients showed presence of one or more impacted teeth. Maxillary canine was the most frequently impacted tooth followed by mandibular second premolar. Impactions were more common in females than males and in maxilla than mandible.

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