Teeth position, eruption and temporomandibular joint ankylosis

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Orthodontics

Background:

• Mandibular condylar fractures can lead to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) ankylosis, affecting mandibular growth.
• Abnormalities in tooth formation and position are frequently observed in such cases.
• Existing literature on this specific phenomenon is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the timing of trauma and subsequent tooth formation and position abnormalities.
• To analyze dental development in patients with unilateral TMJ ankylosis secondary to condylar fractures.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of orthopantomograms from patients diagnosed with unilateral TMJ ankylosis.
• Examined the position and eruption status of mandibular second premolars and first, second, and third molars.
• Correlated dental findings with the age at which the initial mandibular trauma occurred.

Main Results:

• Significant rates of abnormal tooth formation and eruption were observed on the trauma side, affecting 66.67% of second premolars, 44.4% of first molars, 88.89% of second molars, and 44.4% of third molars.
• The contralateral side showed fewer abnormalities, with only 22.2% of third molars affected.
• A correlation was found between the age of trauma and the degree of dental abnormality.

Conclusions:

• Mandibular growth deficiency, specifically in corpus length, occurs after condylar fractures and TMJ ankylosis.
• This deficiency impacts tooth formation, eruption, and position.
• The severity of dental abnormalities is related to the patient's age at the time of the initial trauma.