Korean J Orthod.  2025 May;55(3):234-241. 10.4041/kjod24.213.

Prevalence and characteristics of impacted teeth in Korean orthodontic patients at ten university dental hospitals

• Choi YK
• Kim SH
• Kim YI
• Kim SS
• Park SB
• Choi DS
• Kim HJ
• Kim KA
• Lee MH
• Choi SH
• Choi SK
• Lee KC
• Jeon YM
• Oh S
• Jeong S

• KMID: 2568346
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4041/kjod24.213

Abstract

Objective
This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of impacted teeth (ITs) in orthodontic patients at university dental hospitals in Korea.
Methods
This study included 14,774 patients who visited the Department of Orthodontics at 10 university dental hospitals in Korea between 2020 and 2022 and underwent orthodontic diagnosis. The prevalence and characteristics of ITs were investigated using orthodontic diagnostic records, radiographs, and diagnostic casts.
Results
The prevalence of ITs, excluding third molar impaction, in Korean orthodontic patients was 13.6% (n = 2,014). The prevalence of ITs in pediatric orthodontic patients was 24.5% (n = 1,614). Of these patients, 68.2% had one IT, 27.5% had two ITs, 24.3% had bilateral IT, and 75.7% had unilateral IT. The most frequent IT was the maxillary canine (50.1%), followed by the mandibular second molar (11.7%), and maxillary second premolar (9.6%). An abnormal eruption path (46.5%) was the most frequent etiology. Orthodontic traction after surgical exposure (70.6%) was the most frequent treatment option. Among the patients with ITs, 29.8% had other dental anomalies, such as tooth agenesis (8.7%), microdontia (8.0%), and supernumerary teeth (5.1%). Furthermore, 50.8% had complications such as cystic lesions (18.3%), transposition (17.7%), and root resorption (14.8%). Among the patients with maxillary canine impaction, 62.2% had labial maxillary canine impaction and 21.1% had palatal maxillary canine impaction.
Conclusions
The prevalence of ITs in Korean orthodontic patients at university dental hospitals was high, particularly in pediatric orthodontic patients.

Keyword

Prevalence; Impacted tooth; Orthodontic patient; University dental hospital

Figure

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  Figure 1 Bar graphs of impacted teeth prevalence. U, maxilla; L, mandible; 1, central incisor; 2, lateral incisor; 3, canine; 4, first premolar; 5, second premolar; 6, first molar; 7, second molar.

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  Figure 2 Etiologies of impacted teeth.

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  Figure 3 Treatment methods for impacted teeth.

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  Figure 4 Skeletal anteroposterior malocclusion of patients with impacted teeth.

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  Figure 5 Other dental anomalies of patients with impacted teeth.

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  Figure 6 Number of impacted teeth per patient.

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