[Clinico-surgical evaluation of dental elements in bone inclusions]

Dental inclusions are assessed on the basis of clinical and operating statistics relating to the years 1981-1985 and comprising 815 patients and 1445 treated teeth. The results confirm the predominance of inclusions among female patients and the prevalence of the mandibular site; the most frequently included teeth are the lower eighths followed by the upper eighths, the upper canines and the second lower premolars. Inclusions are bilateral in most cases. These findings are in substantial agreement with the epidemiological data recorded in the literature. The operating series shows that the type of surgical treatment varies with the localisation of the tooth (anterior or posterior), its relationship with contigous teeth and with the surrounding anatomical structures and the age of the patient. Teeth in the posterior sector are usually extracted. At young age, germectomy is carried out for orthodontic purposes; at mature age, teeth are extracted to prevent the formation of periodontal pockets and the aggravation of caries and their complications. On the other hand, for teeth in the anterior sector, surgery is usually merely the first stage in treatment and is followed by treatment of orthodontic type with traction, in view of the important aesthetic and functional role of the labial teeth.