Ethnic variability in the prevalence of submerged primary molars.

Dental submergence, linked primarily with tooth ankylosis, has been reported to have a possible genetic predisposition. The submergence of primary molars was examined in a sample of 1530 children, 2.5-13.5 yr old, appertaining to seven ethnic groups living in Israel. It was found that the frequency of submergence varied among the ethnic groups, and that, on the whole, it was considerably higher than that in North American children.