Prevalence of maxillary canine-first premolar transposition in a composite African sample

Transposition of the maxillary canine and first premolar, or Mx.C.P1 transposition, is a rare positional anomaly that may occur more frequently in Caucasian subjects. However, little information exists for nonwhite populations. The purpose of this research was to document the prevalence of Mx.C.P1 transposition in a composite sample from three African localities. Pedi (n=242) and Bushmen (n=143) dental casts and a skeletal sample of Nubians (n=205) were examined for atypical tooth order. Three cases (two Bushmen and one Nubian) of Mx.C.P1 transposition were discovered. The affected individuals (two males, one female) displayed both unilateral and bilateral transposition. Associated anomalies, found in two of three cases, included deciduous canine retention and reduced maxillary lateral incisors. Overall, 0.51% of the 590 individuals examined exhibited Mx.C.P1 transposition. This frequency is similar to other reports in the clinical dental literature and accentuates the relative rarity of this positional anomaly in most populations.