Childhood dental agenesis – should you be concerned?
We say that a person suffers from dental agenesis when one or more teeth are missing.
We are not talking about a temporary lack, such as when milk teeth are replaced by permanent teeth. Dental agenesis is the permanent absence of teeth.
Dental agenesis has a solution. There are two different strategies to deal with it and both end up with a well aligned and beautiful set of teeth.
If you notice that your child is missing teeth, contact our paediatric dentists to make an appointment to see if it really is dental agenesis and what is the appropriate strategy to solve it.
Dental agenesis and its solutions
- Learn about dental agenesis.
- Implications of dental agenesis.
- Treatment of dental agenesis at Udemax Clinics.
Learn about dental agenesis
The absence of some teeth is characteristic of the stage of childhood in which the child makes the change from the permanent dentition. Unlike the temporary absence of a tooth, agenesis means that the teeth were never formed and therefore the absence of teeth becomes permanent.
The main cause of dental agenesis is genetic inheritance. Hereditary factors determine that this pathology usually affects several members of a family or the whole family.
Dental agenesis can occur during the deciduous dentition or during the eruption of the permanent teeth.
- In the first case, the absence of the tooth is already at the stage of the deciduous dentition. In this case, the treatment will include the use of temporary elements (such as space maintainers) that will guarantee the correct placement of the teeth in the permanent dentition.
- In the second case, there is a milk tooth that is not replaced by a permanent tooth. It is common, then, for the milk tooth to have problems falling out, as there is no permanent tooth to push it out. It is even possible for the patient to reach adulthood with some milk teeth.
The most common dental agenesis is that which occurs in the wisdom teeth. This type of dental agenesis, which is estimated to affect 25% of the population, is not a problem as their function is very limited. On the other hand, they are teeth that are difficult to clean and can therefore lead to bacterial deposits. On many occasions, the dentist often recommends their extraction.
Implications of dental agenesis
With a prevalence of between 1% and 3% of the population, cases of dental agenesis that do not affect the wisdom teeth must be diagnosed and treated correctly, as they can cause dysfunctional speech or chewing and malocclusions.
The lack of teeth tends to be more frequent in the case of upper lateral incisors and premolars. This circumstance makes them more visible and gives the aesthetic factor greater relevance.
Treatment of dental agenesis in Udemax Clinics
There are two different strategies to provide a solution to dental agenesis.
The previous study, depending on the number of teeth affected, their location, the patient’s age, the state of the dentition and their preferences, will determine the best option in each case.
Orthodontic treatment
The first option solves the problem by means of orthodontic treatment. The aim of the treatment is to reposition the teeth to replace the missing teeth.
An example of this would be, in the absence of lateral incisors, closing spaces by means of orthodontics so that they can be replaced by canines. In this case, the paediatric dentist will also shape the canines so that they take on the shape of the incisors.
Treatment using dental implants
This second strategy bases the treatment on opening up the space by means of orthodontics to subsequently enhance the dental implants corresponding to the missing teeth.
As the reader can see, the treatment of cases of dental agenesis must be approached by a multidisciplinary team that includes specialists in orthodontics, implantology, paediatric dentistry, etc.
Dr. Cristina Martínez-Almoyna Rifá
Degree in Dentistry, Master’s degree in Orthodontics and postgraduate degree in Paediatric Dentistry. Certified specialist in Invisalign and straight arch.
Make an appointment at Udemax Clinics, at Arcdental, your children’s clinic located in Zona Colegios, or at Emardental, your clinic in the centre of Palma. Or call us on .
ARC Dental
At Arcdental we offer the youngest patients in the family a personalised service provided by a team of specialists in children’s and teenagers’ oral health. Our aim is to offer the least invasive and most effective treatments at these ages to guarantee the development of a healthy mouth, establishing the foundations for proper oral health that will allow adults to maintain an aesthetic and functional smile for years to come.
It is important in our clinic to offer the greatest peace of mind and safety with our treatments. For this reason, we have a team specialised in paediatric dentistry techniques and preventive and corrective orthodontics that continues to be trained to apply the latest technology and guarantee excellent and long-lasting results.
