Prevalence and Patterns of Five Dental Anomalies in Athletes in Qatar: A Panoramic Radiographic Study

This study investigated the prevalence of dental anomalies within the athlete population in Qatar using panoramic radiographs.

This retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at Aspetar Hospital in Qatar.

Digital panoramic radiographs of 5000 records of athletes attending dental department were investigated for dental anomalies affecting tooth position, such as impaction and transposition; anomalies affecting tooth number, such as hypodontia and supernumerary teeth; and anomalies affecting tooth shape such as taurodontism. Panoramic radiographs were obtained over a 15 year period (March 2007 to September 2022). Radiographs were evaluated by two experienced dentists: a prosthodontist and an endodontist with a minimum of 12 years of experience. To assess interexaminer agreement, a random sample of 20 radiographs were evaluated independently by each examiner. The agreement was calculated using Cohen's kappa statistics, with a strong level of agreement achieved (K > 0.95). Discrepancies were resolved by consensus discussion.

An initial total of 5000 athlete records from individuals attending the dental department were reviewed. After applying the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria, 1483 records were excluded as they did not meet the specified requirements. Consequently, a final sample of 3517 athletes (mean age: 21.3 ± 7.07 years) was included in the analysis, with a predominance of males (3142; 89.3%) compared to females (375; 10.6%). Among those athletes, 1003 (28.5%) had at least one dental anomaly, and 73 athletes (2.1%) had two anomalies. The prevalence of anomalies affected teeth position, shape, and number were 20.0%, 7.7%, and 2.9%, respectively. The most observed dental anomalies were tooth impaction (19.8%), followed by taurodontism (7.7%). The prevalence of hypodontia was 1.8% and that of supernumerary teeth was 1.1%. Tooth transposition was the least found with a prevalence rate of 0.2%.

Our findings demonstrate a notable presence of dental anomalies among athletes in Qatar, with tooth impaction being the most prevalent, followed by taurodontism and hypodontia. This highlights the importance of early detection and management of such anomalies.