Dental anomalies and medical history: prematurity as a risk factor for agenesis

The aims of this retrospective radiographic study were to assess the occurrence of dental anomalies in children and patients with disabilities and to investigate the association of these anomalies with pre-, peri-, and post-natal medical history. A total of 289 panoramic radiographs of children (0-14 years) and patients with disabilities (including all age groups) were used to identify developmental dental anomalies, and information was collected from medical records for statistical analysis. Data were expressed as relative frequency (percentage). The chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, relative risk calculation, and the Mann-Whitney test were used for statistical comparisons with a significance level of 5%. Occurrence of dental alterations was 50.34% in children and 37.50% in patients with disabilities. Agenesis was the most common alteration (24.14% in children and 30.55% in patients with disabilities). The study found a relative risk of 2.6 for agenesis in children with a history of prematurity (p = 0.02). The variable "performing medical treatment" was a risk factor for the presence of dental alterations in children. The age and the medical conditions of the patients with disabilities varied greatly, with neurological diseases being the most prevalent disability. However, the health history of mothers during pregnancy was not associated with dental alterations in patients with disabilities (p > 0.05). Developmental dental anomalies were frequently observed in both groups, with agenesis being the most common condition. Prematurity was identified as a predictive factor for agenesis.