[Double teeth in primary dentition and findings of permanent successors].

Prevalence of double teeth in primary dentition of 0.5% was established in the sample of 2.987 preschool children of Zagreb. Between children with double teeth 60% were female and 40% males. Fusion ocurred in 66.7 percent and germination in 33.3 percent in the sample of children having double teeth. In all children with double teeth orthopantomograms were taken. Analysis of radiographs revealed anomalies of permanent successors in 53.3 percent of all children with double primary teeth. In children with germination in primary dentition anomalies of permanent teeth were present in 20 percent (hyperdontia in all cases), while fusion of deciduous teeth was accompanied by abnormal finding (hypodontia) in permanent dentition in 70 percent. Obtained results pointed out to the need of distinction between type of double teeth in primary dentition, i.e. between fusion and germination because chance of lacking the permanent successors is considerably dependent on the type of anomaly.