Growth & Development
Mohsen Akhavan, DMD, DDS (he/him/his)
Pediatric Dental Resident
Tufts University, Boston, MA
Tufts University
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Cheen Y. Loo, DMD, PhD
Department Chair
Tufts University
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
mona Momeni Moghaddam, Dental Student
Tufts University
Sarah Pagni, PhD, MPH
Tufts University
Gerald Swee, DMD
Tufts University
Helina Tessema, Dental Student
Tufts University
Meletia Laskou, DMD, DDS, FAAPD
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Purpose: To identify the prevalence and types of dental abnormalities and pathologies detected on maxillary occlusal radiographs. An additional goal was to identify the factors that are associated with the presence of these conditions.
Methods: In this retrospective study, data were collected from electronic dental records of patients at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. Maxillary occlusal radiographs of patients aged 0-7 years who received treatment from 07/01/2017 to 06/30/2022 were reviewed for the presence of dental abnormalities and pathologies categorized as infection-related, trauma-related, and eruption-related. Additional data recorded included age, gender, ethnicity, insurance, and frequency of recare.
Results: Radiographs of 1344 patients were reviewed. A total of 690 (51.4%) had one or more of the conditions studied. The most common conditions were dental caries (46.5%), periodontal ligament enlargement (2.6%), ectopic position (2.4%), and external root resorption (1.9%), with no significant statistical difference between genders. Thirty-nine (2.9%) patients had a history of trauma. The most frequent sequelae from trauma were periodontal ligament enlargement (74.3%), external root resorption (43.5%), and root fractures (30.7%).
Conclusions: Dental caries represented the most common finding in the maxillary occlusal radiographs. Periodontal ligament enlargement was the most frequent sequela from trauma. The results of this study highlight the risk of dental anomalies following trauma in the primary dentition and show that follow-up examinations are highly recommended after injuries to the primary dentition.