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Published on: February 23, 2024
Unilateral vs Bilateral Maxillary Canine Impaction: A Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Study of Patterns and
Abdulrahman Alshehri1, Zaki Hakami2, Khalil Marran3
1Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, Division of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia, Phone: +00966557739505,
Aim:
This retrospective study aimed to compare and evaluate the pattern of maxillary canine impaction and its association with other anomalies using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).
Methods:
A total of 59 CBCT records of patients (ages 12 and up) were divided into two groups: A total of 35 subjects with unilateral canine impactions and 24 subjects with bilateral canine impactions. The CBCT data were analyzed for the measurement of qualitative and quantitative variables.
Results:
In unilateral canine impaction, the mesiodistal (MD) width of the central incisors and the nasal cavity (NC) width were wider (p < 0.05). The canine-palatal plane (U3-PP) distance was significantly longer in bilateral canine impaction (p < 0.05). The distance of the impacted canines from the palatal and mid-sagittal planes, the anterior dental arch width, and the maxillary skeletal width changed significantly with the position of the impacted canines (p < 0.05). Males had 0.185 odds of presenting with a bilateral canine impaction as compared to females (p = 0.025). The odds of having bilateral canine impaction with a longer canine-midsagittal plane (U3-MSP) distance was 1.30 (p = 0.003).
Conclusion:
The findings indicate a gender predilection with females showing a greater prevalence of bilateral canine impaction. Supernumerary teeth were associated with unilateral impacted canines and lower canine impaction with bilaterally impacted canines.
Clinical Significance:
Anomalies in the form of the maxillary central and lateral incisors, distance from the maxillary canine to the palatal plane and the mid-sagittal plane, NC width, maxillary skeletal width, and gender, are the best discriminating parameters between unilateral and bilateral canine impactions.

