Impacted Permanent Mandibular Canines: Epidemiological Evaluation

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology of impacted and transmigrated mandibular canines in a large orthodontic population referred to the University of Turin. METHODS: Panoramic radiographs, intraoral photographs, and dental casts of 2119 patients referred to the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Turin, Italy, between 1995 and 2022 were reviewed. These patients were divided into two groups. Group A included 1479 patients found in the Dental School archive before 2017, more specifically between 1995 and 2017. These patients were examined in order to calculate the prevalence of impacted and transmigrated mandibular canines. From 2017 to 2022, the records of 640 new patients were examined (GROUP B) in order to calculate the incidence of these occurrences. RESULTS: The prevalence of mandibular canine impaction in Group A was found to be 1.7%, with a total of 25 patients having mandibular canine impaction. A prevalence of 0.3% was found for mandibular canine transmigration (Group A). The incidence of mandibular canine impaction was found to be 2%, with a total of 13 patients with mandibular canine impaction (Group B). Mandibular canine transmigration was found in 1 of 640 participants (Group B). CONCLUSIONS: Twenty-five of 1479 patients had impacted mandibular canines, resulting in a prevalence value of 1.7%. The incidence was found to be 2%, with 13 of 640 patients having impacted mandibular canines. These results show higher prevalence and incidence rates of mandibular canine impaction when compared with previously published data.