Appearance of a labial notch in maxillary incisors: a population survey

A labiogingival notch appearing on the enamel of maxillary central incisors seems to be a potential factor for compromised gingival and dental health. The objective of the survey was to describe the phenomenon and its prevalence in a random Israeli population. One thousand eight hundred eighty children with fully erupted permanent incisors were clinically examined. The appearance of the labiogingival notch on the enamel surface of the maxillary central incisors was determined. Two depth categories of the phenomenon were distinguished by probing. The possible differences in the prevalence of the labial notch appearance, between the sexes as well as between the right and left sides, were statistically evaluated. The prevalence between the right and left sides, were statistically evaluated. The prevalence of the labial notch on at least one incisor in the population examined was 6.5% (5.1% unilaterally and 1.4% bilaterally). No significant difference between the sexes regarding the appearance of this phenomenon was found. The shallow notch was similarly distributed between the right and left sides in both sexes. However, the deeper malformations appeared significantly more on the left side in boys (P less than 0.05) and in girls (P less than 0.01). The gingivae tended to follow the enamel contour; however, only in few cases was gingival inflammation or incipient caries diagnosed. It was concluded that the labio-gingival notch is not a rare phenomenon, and it should be given special attention to prevent possible damage to the dental and gingival tissues.