Does Current Evidence Support the Discussion Around the Guidance Theory? A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis on the Association Between Maxillary Lateral Incisor Agenesis and Displacement or Impaction of the Permanent Canine

ABSTRACT Palatal impaction of the maxillary canine is commonly considered as a genetic condition, while the lateral incisor root has been suggested to guide maxillary permanent canine eruption. This review assessed whether agenesis of the maxillary lateral incisor is associated with eruption disturbances of the maxillary canine (displacement or impaction). Unrestricted searches in six databases for observational case–control human studies until May 2024 assessing eruption disturbances of the permanent maxillary canine in conjunction with permanent maxillary lateral incisor agenesis were performed. Study selection, data extraction and risk‐of‐bias assessment with the Joanna Briggs Institute's tool were performed in duplicate. Random‐effects meta‐analyses of odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were performed, followed by meta‐regressions and sensitivity analyses. Seventeen reports pertaining to 17 case–control studies were included covering 10,155 patients (11.6 year‐old/46% male on average). Maxillary lateral incisor agenesis was associated with eruption disturbance of the maxillary canine (17 studies; OR = 3.88; 95% CI = 2.05–7.34; p < 0.001; I 2 = 58). Lateral incisor agenesis was more associated with canine displacement (7 studies; OR = 7.56; 95% CI = 2.10–27.18; p = 0.008; I 2 = 57) and to a lesser degree with canine impaction (10 studies; OR = 2.39; 95% CI = 1.28–4.48; p = 0.01). No significant effects of patient age or sex were seen, and the results were robust to study design and precision. The quality of evidence was low due to the inclusion of observational case–control studies with methodological issues and residual confounding. Evidence indicates that permanent maxillary lateral incisor agenesis is associated with eruption disturbances of the permanent maxillary canine, including mainly displacement, but also impaction. Trial Registration: PROSPERO database number: CRD42024549898