Prevalence of Impacted Maxillary Canines in Puerto Rican Adolescents

Objectives: This cross-sectional study is designed to estimate the prevalence of both impacted maxillary canines and partially erupted maxillary canines in a group of Puerto Rican adolescents. Methods: A convenience sample of 155 adolescents, 13 to 18 year-of-age was recruited from 5 local high schools. University of Puerto Rico’s IRB approved the study, and the consent and assent were completed for each participant. A calibrated dentist performed an oral evaluation of the study participants at each school. Descriptive statistics were derived and Fisher's exact tests were performed using SAS statistical software. Results: The mean age of participants is 16+ 1.2; and 60% are females. A prevalence of 3.2% of impacted canines and 2.6% of partially erupted canines is observed. Females present a lower prevalence of impacted maxillary canines compared to males (2.2% vs. 4.8%, respectively); however, these differences are not statistically significant (p=0.3). Conclusion: The results of this study are consistent with findings from previous studies on impaction and partially eruption; 5.8% of the study population is in need of treatment for impacted and delayed maxillary canines according to the Index of Treatment Needed (IOTN).