What is dental agenesis?

It is common knowledge that between the ages of 6 and 12, we lose our teeth, we wear toothless smiles and, after a few months, we give way to adult teeth. Those that impress with their size in faces that are still infantile.

Well, there are exceptions. There are adults who do not lose their children’s teeth.

6-8% of children do not lose their milk teeth because no permanent teeth are forming underneath them, at the level of the root, to replace them. Therefore, by keeping the root of the baby tooth, it remains in the mouth.

Normally, this condition is detected when the patient is a child or adolescent, especially when the first X-rays of the mouth are taken to check how the wisdom teeth are growing.

The causes of dental agenesis are still being studied. There are many theses on the subject: infections suffered by the mother before or during pregnancy, it may also be a hereditary issue, as there are cases in which several members of the same family, as well as children born with other types of genetic anomalies, such as cleft lips, Down’s Syndrome or various fissures, have a tendency to present dental agenesis.

If we suffer from this disease, we must bear in mind that the milk tooth is not prepared to last a lifetime. Therefore, it is normal that sooner or later it will eventually move or fall out and thus present an aesthetic problem. In addition, those who suffer from dental agenesis may show a defective dental occlusion, that is to say, a bad alignment of the teeth and the way in which the upper and lower teeth fit together, which is why they will show an abnormal appearance of the face, discomfort when chewing or biting, difficulties in speech and even mouth breathing (breathing through the mouth without closing the lips).

Normally, two solutions are proposed for this problem: closing the gap through orthodontic treatment or filling the space with an artificial tooth.

In any case, you know that there is no better diagnosis than a visit to the dentist. If you visit any of the clinics of the Udemax Group, we can tell you which is the most suitable treatment and carry out a thorough examination.