Dental Agenesis: Types And Treatments
Dental agenesis is a problem that many people suffer from. Today we will find out what it is all about and how we can deal with it.
Dental agenesis is one of the most common malformations that manifests itself through the absence of one or more teeth. It has nothing to do with poor dental care or poor cleaning.
It is a congenital problem that, on occasions, is usually present in several members of the same family. Therefore, when there is dental agenesis, it is always checked if there is a history of this same pathology.
This problem, contrary to what we might think, does not affect the entire teeth but rather the incisors and premolars. A quick diagnosis is essential, since the sooner the problem is identified, the sooner treatment can be carried out. These consist of replacing missing teeth or correcting the denture.
This will prevent the problem from getting worse and, as a consequence, can improve the patient’s self-esteem. In this article we show you the causes, the types of agenesis and the treatments for this condition.
What are the causes of dental agenesis?
Although we have already seen that dental agenesis is usually a hereditary problem, there are other possible causes that can cause a person to present this pathology.
The most common is a physical obstruction or disruption of the dental lamina. This prevents the tooth from forming properly. Over time, it may fall off or become incompletely shaped.
Space limits can also be another cause for dental agenesis. In many cases, we can find patients who have overlapping teeth due to a lack of space in their teeth.
However, those with dental agenesis may be prevented from forming teeth, also called odontogenesis. This means that some pieces never complete their natural cycle.
Types of dental agenesis
Although we know that dental agenesis involves the loss or malformation of several teeth, we do not know if this affects all or only some of them.
This depends on certain factors such as the type of agenesis that has been inherited or how quickly the problem was diagnosed and treatment started. The following types of agenesis will allow us to know in what type of stage a person is:
- Hypodontia : it is the least serious stage and is characterized by the absence of between 1 and 6 teeth.
- Oligodontia : in this there is an absence of more than 6 teeth that can increase.
- Anodontia : it is the most serious stage where there is a complete absence of teeth in the mouth.
In both hypodontia and oligodontia it will also be possible to observe whether the loss of teeth occurs only on one side of the mouth or on both sides. In the event that we find the first, the agenesis will be unilateral, contrary to the second, which will be known as bilateral.
Available treatments
If we suspect that we have dental agenesis we must go to a dentist or doctor to confirm our assumptions. Only then can we start a treatment. Possible medical solutions include: