Tooth Agenesis — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

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ModerateAnatomy (Head & Neck)Tooth AgenesisMFDS Part 1

In non-syndromic European populations, which permanent tooth is most commonly congenitally absent when third molars are excluded?

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Correct answer: A — Mandibular second premolar

The mandibular second premolar is the permanent tooth most commonly affected by agenesis after third molars are excluded. Meta-analysis of populations including Europe ranks the mandibular second premolar first, followed by the maxillary lateral incisor and then the maxillary second premolar. The maxillary lateral incisor is therefore a strong distractor and may rank first in some individual ethnic or orthodontic samples, but it is not the best answer for the specified European population. Mandibular central incisors and maxillary first premolars are much less frequently absent. The original key, B, should therefore be changed to A.

Reference: Polder BJP, Van't Hof MA, Van der Linden FPGM, Kuijpers-Jagtman AM. A meta-analysis of the prevalence of dental agenesis of permanent teeth. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. 2004;32(3):217–226. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15151692/