Genetic, Epigenetic and Environmental Factors Influence the Phenotype of Tooth Number, Size and Shape: Anterior Maxillary Supernumeraries and the Morphology of Mandibular Incisors

The aim of this study is to investigate whether the genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors that give rise to supernumeraries in the maxillary incisor region and larger dimensions of the adjacent maxillary incisors are also associated with variations in the morphology of the mandibular incisors. If so, this would contribute to understanding the distribution and interactions of factors during dental development and how these can be modelled. The sample consisted of 34 patients with supernumerary teeth in the maxillary anterior region, matched for gender, age and White Caucasian ethnicity with 34 control subjects. The average ages of the supernumerary and control groups were 12.8 and 12.2 years, respectively. Study models of all subjects were constructed and imaged using a previously validated system. Using custom software, each of the mandibular incisor teeth were measured to obtain 17 parameters from the labial view and 17 from the occlusal view. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to summarize the measurements into a smaller set representing distinct features of the clinical crowns, followed by a comparison between the supernumerary and control groups using 2-way ANOVA. Seven factors of tooth size of the mandibular central incisors and six factors of the mandibular lateral incisors were identified as major features of the clinical crowns. All parameters of both mandibular incisors were greater in the supernumerary group than in the control, with three of these, located in the incisal and cervical regions of the mandibular lateral incisors, being statistically significantly larger. The findings of this study indicate that the aetiological factors associated with supernumerary teeth in the maxillary anterior region also affect tooth crown dimensions of mandibular incisors. This new evidence enhances several models of the interactions of genetic, epigenetic and environmental components of dental development and supports a multi-model approach to increase understanding of this process and its variations.