Prevalence and classification of canine impaction in the Saudi Arabia Population of Jeddah and Al-Madina Al-Monawara: A retrospective radiographic study

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate the prevalence and positional classification of maxillary and mandibular canine impactions in the Saudi population of Jeddah and Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah using digital panoramic radiographs, posteroanterior skull views, and cone-beam computed tomography scans. METHODS: This cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted using the radiographic databases” of Jeddah Specialty Dental Center and King Fahad General Hospital. The sample included 177 radiographs from 68 males and 109 females within the age range of 14–40 years. The main extracted data were the frequency and percentage of the utilized radiograph, gender, side distribution of impaction, angulation of the impacted canine to the midsagittal plane, and vertical level of impacted canines about the neighboring adjacent tooth. RESULTS: The most commonly used radiographs were PD (70.6%), PD-CBCT (21.5%), PD-CBCT-PA (2.3%), PD-PA (1.1%), and CBCT alone (4.5%). Unilateral impaction was more common than bilateral impaction (69.5% had unilateral impaction and only 30.5% had bilateral impaction). Females had a significantly higher prevalence of impaction than males (61.6% and 38.4%, respectively). The most common angulation of the impacted canine was >30°(44.6%), followed by 16–30°(28.2%), and the least common angulation was 0–15 °(27.1%). The vertical level showed that the most common level of impaction was between the cementoenamel junction and halfway up the root of the neighboring adjacent tooth (53.1%). CONCLUSION: PD is the most commonly used method to diagnose canine impaction. Unilateral impactions are more common than bilateral impactions. Females had a higher prevalence of impaction than males.