The prevalence and distribution of hypodontia in children of North Syria

Introduction: Congenital absence of teeth is a common developmental dental anomaly in humans that affects the occlusal development and the beauty of the smile in particular and the face in general, especially if the injury is in the frontal area. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and distribution of hypodontia of permanent teeth in a Syrian population. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and sixty panoramic X-rays of children in North Syria, whose ages ranged from approximately 6–12 years, were taken at the dental clinics of the hospital of Syrian University for Science and Technology, Aleppo, Syria. The prevalence and distribution of hypodontia were recorded, and descriptive statistics were performed. A Chi-square test was used to determine the difference between genders (α =0.05). Results and Discussion: The prevalence of hypodontia was 7.8% (females 9.6% and males 6.5%). The most frequently missing teeth were the mandibular second premolar, maxillary lateral incisors, and mandibular central incisors. Missing was significantly more frequent in the mandible compared to the maxilla (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The number of cases of congenital absence of permanent teeth is impressive. These conditions can cause many dental problems, so careful examination and proper investigation are required to diagnose them and prevent subsequent problems.