Talaat DM, Hachim IY, Afifi MM, Talaat IM, ElKateb MA. Assessment of risk factors and molecular biomarkers in children with supernumerary teeth: a single-center study.
BMC Oral Health 2022;
22:117. [PMID:
35397562 PMCID:
PMC8994298 DOI:
10.1186/s12903-022-02151-z]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Supernumerary teeth are considered one of the commonly observed dental anomalies in children. Several theories have been proposed to explain the presence of supernumerary teeth, including environmental and genetic factors. This study aimed to identify the different risk factors and molecular biomarkers in patients presented with supernumerary teeth.
Methods
This case–control study included 240 children, 6 to 12-year-old. They were divided into a test group (n = 120 children presented with supernumerary teeth) and a control group (n = 120 children with no supernumerary teeth). Questionnaires were distributed to assess demographics and exposure to several environmental factors. Ten extracted supernumerary teeth from the test group were processed for histopathological analysis.
Results
Male gender, dental history of severe oral infection or medical history of chemotherapy treatment, previous history of taking medication or illness during pregnancy, family history of neoplastic disorders, use of electronic devices, and living beside agricultural fields or industrial areas were found to be statistically significant associated with the risk of supernumerary teeth development. Immunohistochemistry panel revealed that supernumerary teeth showed enhanced expression of wingless (Wnt) and sonic hedgehog (SHH) proteins as well as a reduced expression of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) protein, denoting molecular derangement in a group of pathways classically believed to be involved in its pathogenesis.
Conclusions
Males were more frequently affected by supernumerary teeth than females. Several risk factors were notably correlated with the existence of supernumerary teeth. Additionally, molecular biomarkers assessment demonstrated a high expression level of pro-tumorigenic proteins such as Wnt and SHH in patients with supernumerary teeth.
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