Taurodontism and related dental anomalies: influence of maternal, prenatal, and postnatal factors in pediatric patients.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the association between taurodontism and maternal-child characteristics, as well as its relationship with other dental anomalies including hypodontia, hyperdontia, and pyramidal molars.

Methods: Panoramic radiographs were obtained from 815 patients aged 9 to 15 years. A total of 62 children with taurodontism and their mothers agreed to participate. Other dental anomalies and taurodontism types were also recorded. Mothers completed a questionnaire that included the mother and child's demographic characteristics and potential etiological factors. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis.

Results: The most common form of taurodontism was hypotaurodontism, most frequently affecting the right maxillary first molar (43.5%). Heart disease (n = 5) was the most frequently observed systemic condition among children with taurodontism. A statistically significant association was observed between the number of taurodontic teeth and the presence of pyramidal molars (p < 0.05). Regression analysis revealed significant associations (p < 0.05) between the presence of more than two taurodontic teeth and several factors, including maternal smoking during pregnancy, a higher number of siblings, female sex, and consanguineous marriage. These findings may assist in identifying at-risk pediatric populations and underscore the importance of considering these variables in the clinical assessment of dental anomalies.

Conclusions: Evaluating taurodontism in children with heart disease or pyramidal molars may contribute to early diagnosis and more effective management. The findings of this study highlight the need for increased clinician awareness and further research with larger sample sizes and healthy control groups to better understand the risk factors associated with taurodontism.