Reduced bone dimension in patients affected by oligodontia: A retrospective study on maxillary and mandibular CBCT

Aim: Oligodontia (OD) is a rare developmental condition characterized by the absence of six or more teeth. Dental implant placement may be challenging due to anatomical factors. This study aims to evaluate the alveolar bone dimensions in OD patients compared with controls. Materials and Methods: On maxillary and mandibular cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), bone height and width were measured at every tooth and edentulous site. The distance to the inferior alveolar nerve was also measured. Fifty-three OD patients (40 maxillary and 32 mandibular CBCT) and 82 controls (51 maxillary and 31 mandibular CBCT) were compared using mixed models. Results: Compared with those in OD patients, maxillary permanent teeth and edentulous sites showed significantly higher mean height in control patients (incisive-canine site height: +2.12 mm; edentulous incisive-canine site height: +4.46 mm [p >.001]). For the mandibular permanent teeth, mean height was higher in controls than in OD patients at the incisive-canine (+3.82 mm [p >.001]) and premolar areas (+2.06 mm [p >.001]). Only edentulous incisive-canine sites were significantly different between controls and OD patients (mean: +0.52 mm [p >.001]). Changes in alveolar nerve position were observed in case of molar agenesis. Conclusion: Maxillary and mandibular bone dimensions are reduced in OD patients compared with controls both in sites with permanent teeth and in edentulous areas.