Investigation of mandibular impacted canine teeth and adjacent dentoalveolar structures by cone beam computed tomography

Aim: In this study, it was aimed to evaluate mandibular impacted canines and adjacent dentoalveolar structures using cone beam computed tomography. Material and Method: In this study, measurements were made on sagittal, coronal and axial sections of CBCT images of 54 individuals with impacted mandibular canine teeth. Parameters such as the position of the impacted mandibular canine teeth, their resorption in the adjacent teeth, their relationship with the mental foramen, their relationship with the incisive canal, arch symmetry between the impacted and erupted side, transversal width and mesiodistal width of the canine teeth were investigated. Shapiro-Wilks test and Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric analysis of variance were used in the statistical analysis of the data. Results: In our study, impacted canine teeth were mostly found in women and in the labial position. It was observed that the interpremolar and intermolar distances were similar between the impacted and erupted sides, the arch length was shorter on the tooth side of the impacted canine compared to the midline, and the contact of the impacted mandibular canine with the mental foramen and incisive canal was quite low. The resorption rate in adjacent permanent teeth was recorded as 14.8%. Resorption was more common in labial teeth. The impacted mandibular canine tooth was found to perforate the cortical bone to a great extent. Conclusion: Mesialization on the side of the impacted tooth may cause the arch symmetry to deteriorate. The large mesiodistal width of the impacted mandibular canine teeth should be considered in the treatment planning. Keywords: arch length, cone-beam computed tomography, impacted mandibular canine, root resorption