Probability of congenitally missing teeth: Results in 1,191 children in the Burlington Growth Centre in Toronto

Abstract

abstract The position and frequency of anodontia was determined from oblique and postero‐anterior cephalograms of 1,191 children (615 males and 576 females) from the Burlington Growth Centre. These children ranged from age 6 to 12 years and some were studied cross‐sectionally while others were studied serially. The presence or absence of congenitally missing teeth were recorded from cephalograms. Of all the children studied, only 7.4% had congenitally missing teeth. Most frequently, only one or two teeth were congenitally absent. Males, most commonly, had only one tooth missing whereas females had a greater chance of having two or more teeth absent. The most commonly absent tooth was the mandibular second premolar, then the maxillary lateral incisor followed by the maxillary second premolar. When a tooth was missing, there was a greater probability that other teeth would be missing.