The prevalence and distribution of hypodontia in a sample of Qatari patients

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of hypodontia in the permanent dentition in a sample of Qatari patients attending a dental center and to compare the results with the reported findings of other populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Orthodontic files including orthopantomographs of 1000 patients (655 females and 345 males, 11-36-year-old) were examined and inspected for evidence of hypodontia. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypodontia in the present Qatari sample was 7.8%; 6.9% was in males and 8.2% in females. Hypodontia was found more frequently in the maxilla than in the mandible. The distribution of missing teeth was noticed in the left side more than the right side. The most frequently missing teeth were the maxillary lateral incisors followed by the mandibular second premolars, maxillary second premolars, and mandibular left lateral incisor. The majority of patients with hypodontia had one or two teeth missing, but rarely more than four teeth were missing in the same patient. Bilateral missing teeth in the current study was commonly seen in the maxillary lateral incisor (14.1%) followed by mandibular second premolar (12.8%) and maxillary second premolar (6.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of hypodontia in a sample of Qatari individuals was within the range reported in the literature for other populations. The incidence of hypodontia in the anterior segment requires multidisciplinary team approach (orthodontic and prosthodontic) to restore the esthetic and function and improve patient self-esteem.