Prevalence, characteristics, and complications of mesiodentes among Saudi children: a retrospective radiographic study

Background: Mesiodentes may negatively impact both child facial aesthetics and occlusion. With early diagnosis and proper planning, however, healthcare providers can often prevent, or at least reduce ongoing dental complications, achieving various favourable outcomes. This study guides healthcare providers, particularly paediatric dentists, with respect to understanding the prevalence, characteristics, and related complications of mesiodentes among Saudi children. Methods: A retrospective radiographic study was conducted on patients visiting the Department of Orthodontics and Paediatric Dentistry at Qassim University and other private dental clinics in the Qassim region. The extracted data were prepared for final analysis. The analysis was performed by using IBM SPSS. The chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were used to measure the level of significance. Results: In total, 1416 children were eligible, including 51.2% boys and 48.8% girls, with a mean age of 7.93 ± 2.10 years. Only 29 children were diagnosed with 33 mesiodens. The prevalence of mesiodentes was 2% (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.3–2.8), with a sex-exhibiting ratio of 2.63:1, showing a male predilection (effect size: 2.5). A significant difference was observed in the prevalence of mesiodentes among both genders. Most mesiodentes occurred in the maxillary arch (96.6%, n = 28), and the conical shape was the most observed type (79.3%, n = 23). Furthermore, the majority of children showed an isolated mesiodens (86.2%, n = 25) with a vertical orientation (82.8%, n = 24). The most exhibited complication with these mesiodentes was incisor misalignment (44.8%, n = 13). Conclusions: In the current study, mesiodentes exhibit various dental characteristics, with a prevalence of 2% among Saudi Arabian children. Healthcare providers should assess the right timing for successful mesiodens intervention along with early diagnosis and effective treatment planning, which may enhance the likelihood of successful outcomes and avert further associated dental complications.

Mesiodentes; Extra tooth; Prevalence; Characteristics; Complications

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