Frecuencia de agenesia de terceros molares en pacientes jóvenes que acuden a consulta privada de ortodoncia

Abstract

Introduction: The third molars are the teeth that occupy the eighth place from the dental midline of each hemiarcade in the permanent dentition and generally present some abnormal condition. Agenesis is the congenital absence of one or more deciduous or permanent teeth, associated with different factors. It can compromise several dental organs, with the third molar being the one with the highest prevalence of agenesis worldwide. Objective: To establish the frequency of third molar agenesis in young patients between 14 and 22 years of age who attend a dental consultation in a private office in the city of Merida, Venezuela. Methods: A descriptive, non-experimental and retrospective study was carried out. 120 medical records were analyzed, along with panoramic radiographs of young patients who attended the office during the years 2014-2019. The frequencies of agenesis of third molars were compared, in total and by quadrants, by sex and age group. The data was emptied into a record card and analyzed in the IBM SPSS Statistics V25 program. Results: Agenesis of the third molar occurred in 23.3% of all patients, more frequently in women. The 21-year-old age group showed the highest prevalence and agenesis predominated in the left maxilla. Conclusion: The results show that the frequency of third molar agenesis is similar to the percentages reported in the literature; higher prevalence for the female sex, in the quadrant of the left maxilla.