Management of Maxillary Impacted Supernumerary Teeth in Oral Surgery at Kainan Hospital: A Clinical study

Abstract

Maxillary impacted supernumerary teeth (MIST) can cause complications such as ectopic eruption, delayed eruption of permanent teeth, and spacing anomalies. This study aimed to investigate the trends in MIST management in the Department of Oral Surgery at Kainan Hospital. We conducted a survey of 84 patients diagnosed with MIST at our hospital from January 2013 to December 2019. We retrospectively analyzed the patients’ sex, age, number of MIST, state of the impacted teeth, treatment, age at the time of surgery, and method of anesthesia. The following findings were obtained: the ratio of males to females was 3:1; age at diagnosis ranged from 4 to 83 years; children (4–11 years old) accounted for 90% of MIST patients; the number of MIST was 1 in 73% of patients and 2 in 27%; 43% of MIST were on the right side, 44% on the left side, and 13% in the middle; the direction of the crown was normal in 39% of patients, inverted in 46%, and horizontal in 13%; the vertical depth from the nasal floor was Type I in 19% of patients, Type II in 29%, and Type III in 40%. Regarding treatment, 85% of patients chose surgery, and 12% of patients chose follow-up. Mean age at surgery was 7 years. The anesthesia method was general anesthesia in 65% of patients, local anesthesia in 34%, and intravenous sedation in 1%. Overall, we found that the vertical depth from the nasal floor of MIST and the patient’s age were the major factors influencing the treatment plan. Therefore, we consider that computed tomography or X-ray imaging should be performed to guide the choice of treatment and the method of anesthesia.