• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.444-449
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• 2002

The term 'impaction' is used to designate a tooth which remains unerupted in the jaw beyond the time at which it should normally be erupted. The main causal factors are local (lack of space, ectopic positions of teeth, supernumerary teeth, cyst, the occurrence of infectious process in the eruption path, traumatic facial injury etc.). Systemic and genetic disorders, however, may have primary failure of eruption and retarded eruption as additional symptoms (cleidocranial dysplasia, osteopetrosis etc.). Most cases of impacted teeth reported in the literature are of permanent teeth. The absence of primary teeth occur rarely whereas impaction of second primary molars is more numerous than all other impactions. Impaction due to primary failure of eruption must be distinguished from the secondary infraocclusion. The etiology of impaction of primary teeth is probably related to early ankylosis of primary teeth, but it is not clear. Failure of eruption of primary teeth may cause a number of complications, such as interference with development and eruption of succedaneous teeth, formation of cyst, and damage to adjacent teeth. This study is to report cases of primary failure of eruption in the primary dentition.