hypodontia prevalence in permanent dentition in orthodontics patients in kerman (2010-2015)

Introduction: hypodontia is one of the most prevalent craniofacial anomalies worldwide. malocclusion could be prevented, by early treatment of this anomaly. the aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of congenital missing tooth (hypodontia) in patients, referred to orthodontic department of kerman dental school, as well as other private dental care centers. methods: in this descriptive, cross-sectional study, 1883 orthodontic records from 2010-2015 were examined. demographic characteristics and types of occlusion were obtained from the patients’ records. data were collected from patients’ panoramic radiography, dental casts, lateral cephalography and, intra-oral photographies. data was entered to our checklist. exclusion criteria consisted of tooth loss due to decay or other factors, third molars and individuals under 10 years of age. the data were analyzed by the spss software (version 21) and statistical chi-square test at 0.05 significance level. results: of all 1883 participants, 101(5.4%) had dental agenesis. mandibular second premolar was the most common congenital missing teeth (42.44%), followed by upper lateral incisors (24.41%). hypodontia in the posterior of mandible were higher than the other site of jaws, and this difference was significant. gender, unilateral or bilateral hypodontia and type of occlusion difference were not found to be statistically significant. conclusion: the findings of the present study showed that the prevalence of hypodontia was within the range of which reported in the literature. lower second premolar was recognized as the most common dental agenesis. hypodontia requires an appropriate intervention to restore the esthetic and function of teeth and improve patient’s self-esteem.