Methods: A longitudinal retrospective study was carried out. A total of 49 patients were identified from the general anaesthetic day-case records. These were patients who had supernumeraries associated with unerupted teeth extracted under general anaesthetic at Alder Hey Children's hospital 1997-2000. Data were collected using a specially designed form and then analysed. The pre-extraction record data collected included chronological age at time of referral, gender, position of supernumerary from radiographs/ clinical records and position of the unerupted tooth. The post-extraction record data collected included age at time of extraction of the supernumerary, surgical/orthodontic management, age at time of eruption of the impacted tooth and if a second procedure was needed.
Results: The mean age of referral was 9.2 yrs with an age range of 6-14yrs. The female: male ratio was 1: 4.4. The positions of the supernumeraries were 47% left, 25% right and 28% midline. It was observed that the proportion of impacted teeth that erupted within eighteen months following extraction of the supernumerary were 91%. Of this 49% were spontaneous eruption and 45% needed orthodontic traction. Surgical treatment was not important, 42% of patients had closed exposure, 7% had open exposure and 51% had no exposure.
Conclusion: The findings of this study favour extraction of the supernumerary initially and exposure at a later date should the tooth not erupt. Early referral by the dentist is therefore important to allow early intervention if needed.