RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Hypodontia is the most commonly known developmental dental anomaly in man. This paper aims to investigate the characteristics of tooth absence and associated dental anomalies among the patients attending our paediatric dentistry clinic. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: For this study, 192 patients aged between 1 and 18 years with congenitally missing teeth were selected among the patients who attended the Department of Paediatric Dentistry of Süleyman Demirel University between January 2000 and December 2003. Clinical and radiographic examinations were performed by two dentists in order to detect the missing teeth. RESULTS: We determined 503 congenitally missing teeth in 192 patients (male = 93, female = 99), excluding third molars. Twelve of these teeth were deciduous and 491 were permanent. A higher incidence of missing teeth was observed in girls than boys, in mandibular arch than maxillary and on the right side than left side. However the differences between arches and sides were not statistically significant in both sexes. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of the hypodontia should be performed as early as possible, thus alternative treatment modalities can be planned and performed in a multidisciplinary team approach, in order to establish an aesthetic and functional dentition in the future.