Exploring Canine Anomalies: Patterns, Prevalence, and Their Relationship to Skeletal Malocclusion among Orthodontic Patients at Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Introduction: Canines are crucial for biting and tearing food, as well as guiding the jaw into proper orientation. Anomalies of the canines can result in a loss of these functions, leading to low self-esteem and overall poor health and quality of life. Understanding these dental anomalies and their varying occurrence among different racial populations can assist dental practitioners in providing vigilant treatment for specific communities. Aim: To assess the prevalence and patterns of impacted canines and other canine anomalies, and to investigate potential relationships between impacted teeth and malocclusions in an orthodontic patient population. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Vishu Dental College, Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India using 530 orthopantomographic and cephalometric records obtained from orthodontic patients as part of their diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. Radiographs with identified canine impactions during the screening process were assessed for skeletal relationships on lateral cephalograms using tracing techniques. Skeletal malocclusions were categorised based on the Point A, Nasion, Point B angle and Wits appraisal, and the data underwent analysis using the one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test and Fisher's-exact test. Results: The study found a prevalence of 3.2% for impacted canines in the orthodontic population. Unilateral impactions were more prevalent than bilateral impactions, and the majority of impactions were associated with class- skeletal malocclusion. The grouping of skeletal relationships using ANB and WITS appraisal showed that ANB was significant in categorisation (p<0.001). Conclusion: These findings provide insights into the prevalence and distribution of impacted canines, which were more prevalent in females and predominantly Unilateral impacted were unilateral. Majority of impacted canines were associated with Class-I skeletal malocclusion, followed by Class-II and III, among the study population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]