Abstract: Objective: To investigate the occurrence of developmental anomalies of anterior deciduous teeth in 3-6-year-old children. Methods: A total of 9432 panoramic radiographs of 3-6-year-old children with deciduous dentition were collected from January 2023 to December 2023. The incidence of anterior deciduous and inherited dental developmental anomalies was observed and analyzed. Results: The incidence of anterior deciduous developmental anomalies was 3.9%, and the difference between the genders was not statistically significant (P=0.483). Congenital anterior deciduous teeth absence was the most common, with an incidence of 2.15%. There was no statistical difference between genders (P=0.887). The differences between unilateral and bilateral, maxillary and mandibular, right and left were statistically significant (P=0.000). Four types of congenital deciduous anterior teeth absence with inherited permanent teeth were observed (absent teeth 70.85%, visible teeth 25.83%, fused teeth 1.85%, and supernumerary teeth 1.48%). The incidence of anterior deciduous tooth fusion was 1.84%, and there was no statistical difference between genders (P=0.110). The differences between unilateral and bilateral, maxillary and mandibular were statistically significant (P=0.000). Tooth fusion in right was more than left (P=0.012). Three types of deciduous anterior fused teeth with inherited permanent teeth were observed (absent teeth 52.33%, visible teeth 43.52%, and fused teeth 4.15%). The incidence of supernumerary teeth in deciduous anterior teeth was 0.13%, and two types of inherited permanent teeth were observed (33.33% with supernumerary teeth and 66.67% without supernumerary teeth). The incidence of freakish lingual cusp in deciduous anterior teeth was 0.42‰, bi-rooted in deciduous anterior teeth was 0.21‰, and impacted in deciduous anterior teeth was 0.11‰. Conclusion: The anterior deciduous developmental anomalies partly affects deciduous teeth and deciduous dentition, and even complicates with permanent teeth and permanent dentition abnormalities. The application of imaging examination can detect inherited permanent teeth abnormalities so as to adopt reasonable treatment plans.

Key words: deciduous dentition, dental developmental anomalies, fused tooth congenitally, absent teeth, supernumerary teeth