[Dental agenesis. Results of a prospective study of 30 cases]

We conducted a prospective study to determine the types of bone anomalies observed in different types of dental agenesia.

This prospective series included 30 patients who attended our pluridisciplinary clinic since 1988. There were 22 cases of non syndromal agenesia and 8 cases of syndromal agenesia. Patients consulted for a variety of reasons, no specific sign was found. The diagnosis was based on the panoramic x-ray and confirmed at the genetic consultation.

Results were systemized by localization of the agenesia. In all cases, the height of the bone crest was preserved compared with the adjacent teeth. In the anterior part of the maxillary, the bone crest was thin showing a water drop aspect. In the posterior maxillary, there was a decrease in the subsinusal height due to invagination of the floor of the sinus. In the anterior part of the mandible, the crest had a knife blade aspect but no loss of height and in the posterior part, a preserved distance between the residual crest rim and the dental canal.

In 60% of the solitary agenesias in the anterior part of the maxillary, augmentation was not required. A sinus graft was required in all cases involving the posterior maxillary. Multiple anterior or lateral agenesias were treated with a parietal graft.