Prevalence of pre-eruptive intracoronal dentin defects from panoramic radiographs.
OBJECTIVE
This investigation stemmed from preliminary clinical observations from a school dental clinic, which suggested that a proportion of clinically undetected, radiolucent lesions on radiographs may originate as pre-eruptive intracoronal dentin defects. This study investigated the prevalence of such defects in orthopantomograms from a group of children and young adults.


METHODS
A total of 1281 orthopantomograms with 11,767 unerupted permanent teeth were examined.


RESULTS
The prevalence of intracoronal dentin defects was 3% by subjects, and 0.5% by teeth; the highest prevalence being noted in the maxillary and mandibular first permanent molars. Most of the lesions occurred singly, and nearly half had extended to greater than two-thirds the width of dentin thickness. Ectopic positioning was significantly associated with this lesion.


CONCLUSIONS
Pre-eruptive intracoronal dentin defects occur at a significant prevalence rate. Increased awareness of this entity may improve diagnosis and allow early treatment.
Seow
W K
WK
Pediatric Dentistry Unit, School of Dentistry, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Lu
P C
PC
McAllan
L H
LH
D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003804:Dentin / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D014071:Tooth Abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D019228:Tooth Crown / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014079:Tooth Eruption, Ectopic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D014097:Tooth, Unerupted / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*