Median Diastema Among Libyan Young Adults: Prevalence and Etiology

Maxillary midline diastema is a prevalent aesthetic concern in both mixed and permanent dentition. The space may be occasioned by either a transient malocclusion or by developmental, pathological, or iatrogenic factors. The persistence of a diastema, or gap, between the maxillary central incisors in adults is frequently regarded as an aesthetic or malocclusion problem. Midline diastemas can be categorised as physiological, dentoalveolar, or due to a missing tooth, peg-shaped lateral or midline supernumerary teeth, the proclination of the upper labial segment, a prominent frenum, or self-inflicted by tongue piercing. The present study aims to determine the aetiology and prevalence of midline diastema among a sample of Libyan patients, and to ascertain whether it is more prevalent in males or females. The current cross-sectional study, conducted at private dental clinics throughout Sirte City, employed a random sampling method with a sample size of 482 people (135 males and 347 females) to examine the occurrence and aetiology of midline diastema among orthodontic patients in Sirte City. The measurements collected in the present study were collected in situ as part of the examination of the patient. The subject age range was 15 to 37, and the mean age was 26 years. 482 patients were assessed, and the prevalence of upper midline diastema was 10.37% (50) of subjects. Of these, 9.63% (13) were male and 10.67% (37) were female. There was no statistically significant difference between the prevalence of upper diastema in males and females (p value = 0.720). The most prevalent etiological factors were found to be a highly attached frenum (40%) and generalized spaces (32%). The prevalence of malocclusions was as follows: 10% of patients exhibited flared or rotated incisors, 6% demonstrated supernumerary teeth, and 12% exhibited peg-shaped laterals or congenitally missing laterals.