Aim: Carabelli’s trait, a morphological feature on the mesiopalatal surface of the maxillary molars, has importance in anthropology, forensic sciences, and clinical dentistry. The aim of this study was to find the frequency and degree of expression of Carabelli’s trait and to assess the asymmetry of the trait, on three permanent maxillary molars in a sample of Turkish individuals. Methodology: Carabelli’s trait was evaluated using Dahlberg’s eight-grade scale on 462 subjects. Data were analyzed using a chi-square test. Results: The frequencies in the total, positive and negative expressions of the trait were, respectively, 64.5%, 37.7% and 26.8% on the first molars, 27.1%, 19.6% and 7.6% on the second molars and 10.3%, 8.7% and 1.6% on the third molars. The occurrence of the trait on the first and second molars was more prevalent in males than in females. The trait was most frequently bilateral and symmetrical without significant sex differences, with varying degrees of asymmetry that increased from the first to the third molars. The frequencies of presence-absence asymmetry and any degree of asymmetry on the first molars were 5.3% and 15.7%, respectively. Conclusion: This study revealed a comparatively high frequency of Carabelli’s trait with a relatively low asymmetry in a contemporary Turkish sample. This data has the potential to be used for anthropological, forensic, and clinical purposes.   How to cite this article: Yılancı HÖ, Özkan G, Akkaya N, Boyacıoğlu H. The frequency and degree of expression of Carabelli’s trait on the permanent maxillary molars in a sample of Turkish individuals. Int Dent Res 2022;12(3):112-9. https://doi.org/10.5577/intdentres.2022.vol12.no3.2   Linguistic Revision: The English in this manuscript has been checked by at least two professional editors, both native speakers of English.

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Objective The aim of this study is to present a comparison between panoramic radiographs and USG imaging with a focus on revealing the advantages of USG over radiographs, and to show the distribution of calcifications detected in USG by considering the age and gender. Methods A total of 148 patients with soft tissue calcifications as seen on panoramic radiographs were examined with USG imaging. Sialoliths, carotid artery calcifications, tonsilloliths, phleboliths and lymph node calcifications were examined in terms of anatomical localization, distribution and shape. Results In the USG evaluation of these 148 patients, soft tissue calcifications were observed in 113 (76.4%) patients. The mean age of the patients with calcification was 55.6 ± 13.1 (min: 22–max: 77). Bilateral calcifications were detected in 25 (22.1%) patients, whereas unilateral calcifications were found in 88 (77.9%) patients. While the rates of tonsilloliths, sialoliths, phleboliths, and lymph node calcifications were statistically similar in male and female patients, the rate of carotid artery calcifications was found to be higher in men than in women (P = 0.017). No statistical significance was found between age groups in terms of the formation of soft tissue calcifications (P = 0.117). Conclusions Panoramic radiographs may mislead clinicians in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of soft tissue calcifications in the head and neck region due to the presence of distortion, superpositions, metal artefacts, and ghost images. USG is an important diagnostic tool in determining the localization of soft tissue calcifications that can be confused on two‐dimensional radiographs, their relationship with neighboring structures, and defining calcification. It can be used safely in the detection of soft tissue calcifications as it provides dynamic imaging without the use of radiation or contrast material compared to other advanced imaging methods.

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