Relation between agenesis and shape anomaly of maxillary lateral incisors and canine impaction

Objective: The purpose was to obtain information about the relation between agenesis and shape anomaly of maxillary lateral incisors and canine impaction. Methods: Seventy-three patients with canine impaction and 73 control patients, without canine impaction, were evaluated. The mesiodistal distances of the maxillary lateral incisors adjacent to the impacted canines and the correspondent mandibular lateral incisors were measured. The adjacent lateral incisors were classified in: 1 absent, 2 small, 3 peg-shaped, 4 standard. Results: The results showed that among the patients with impacted canines, there were 21 anomalous teeth (small and pegshaped) and among the control patients there were only three small and peg-shaped teeth, with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.001). No patients were found with impacted canines and absent lateral incisors. Conclusion: It was concluded that in patients with anomalous lateral incisors (small and peg-shaped) there is a probability to present impacted canines and this must be considered.