Infraocclusion – an anomaly in primary dentition

Infraocclusion is a developmental abnormality that affects a tooth lying below the plane of occlusion. It is most common in children with mixed dentition, past the age of six. It is usually noticeable in the posterior part of the dental arch, involving one of the deciduous molars. The presence of infraocclusion can be identified by clinical examination or on radiographs. The aim of the study was to present a literature review on the incidence of infraocclusion in primary molars in children in various populations and on further clinical management. The review covered publications from the last 20 years. The following online databases were searched: PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus. Eight scientific papers were eligible for the review. The inclusion criteria were as follows: children, without systemic diseases or syndromes, with infraocclusion. The analysed studies show that the process usually affects a small number of teeth – most children present two infraoccluded molars. The condition shows no predilection for any sex. Across different populations, the percentage of children affected by infraocclusion ranges from 2.8% to 21.8%. With age, there is a decrease in the incidence of mild infraocclusion, and an increase in the incidence of the moderate (ages 8–10) and severe (ages 11–13) forms of the condition. Our review reveals that infraocclusion most often affects the teeth in the mandible, mainly the first primary molars and, in older children, the second molars. The treatment of patients should be planned individually, considering the age of the subjects and their clinical status. Tooth extraction is performed in extremely severe cases, which are uncommon.