A study of tooth agenesis in a sample of Malagasy orthodontic patient

The aim of this study was to describe the specific features of dental agenesis in Malagasy people. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in two private orthodontic clinics in the city of Antananarivo, Madagascar. A total of 72 panoramic radiographs of patients aged more than 7 years old and undergoing orthodontic treatment between January 2008 and September 2022 were examined. Dental agenesis was declared in the absence of crown mineralization on the radiograph. Wisdom teeth agenesis was not considered in this study. Data were collected, coded, processed, and analyzed using SPSS 20.0 software. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

A significant predominance of females (72.2% vs. 27.8%) was observed among subjects with tooth agenesis (p < 0.000). The mandible was the most affected arch (57%). The mandibular lateral incisor (83%) was the most frequently absent tooth, followed by the maxillary lateral incisor (69.3%) and the mandibular second premolar (12.2%). Dental position anomalies associated with agenesis included impacted tooth (41.7%) and tooth transposition (4.2%).

The general characteristics of tooth agenesis in our study population did not show any major differences compared to previous researches in other countries. However, a difference linked to ethnic origin was observed regarding the type of tooth most frequently affected by agenesis.