Medical Centric

HYPERDONTIA

Men's Health, Women's Health / By

HYPERDONTIA

Hyperdontia is an oral condition characterized by the development of an excess number of teeth.

  • The standard number of primary teeth is 20 and the standard number of permanent teeth is 32
  • The primary teeth, also known as the deciduous teeth, are the first set of teeth that grows in a person’s mouth. The permanent teeth then replace them, usually erupting completely at age 21
  • Affected individuals can have extra primary or permanent teeth.
  • These extra teeth are sometimes called supernumerary teeth and can appear in any area of the dental arch (the curved area where the teeth attach to the jaw)
  • The additional teeth may be small in number or many, and their arrangement may be symmetrical or non-symmetrical

Supernumerary teeth are categorized based on their shape and position in the mouth.

SHAPES

  • Supplemental – the tooth is shaped similarly to the type of tooth it grows near
  • Tuberculate – the tooth has a barrel-like shape
  • Conical – the tooth is shaped like a peg, with a wide base and narrows out at the top,
  • Compound odontoma – the tooth consists of multiple small, tooth-like growths near each other
  • Complex odontoma – a disorganized mass of tooth-like tissue growth

POSITION

  • Paramolar
  • Distomolar
  • Mesiodens, this is the most common form of supernumerary teeth

CAUSES

The exact cause of hyperdontia is unknown. It is believed that there may be a genetic factor along with some evidence of environmental factors leading to the condition.

Another possible cause is an overactivity of the dental lamina during development. The dental lamina is a zone of cells that initiates the formation of the tooth germ, which forms the tooth.

Hyperdontia seems also to be associated with several hereditary conditions, including:

  • Fabry disease
  • Gardner’s syndrome
  • Ehlers-Danios syndrome
  • Cleft palate and lip
  • Cleidocranial dysplasia
  • Marfan syndrome
  • Sturge-weber syndrome
  • Orofaciodigital syndrome

SYMPTOMS

  • The main symptom of hyperdontia is the growth of extra teeth directly behind or close to the primary or permanent teeth
  • Where the extra teeth put pressure on the jaw and gums, pain and swelling may occur
  • Formation of cysts and polyps
  • Teeth crowding

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

if the extra teeth have already erupted or grown, diagnosing the condition is very easy.

If otherwise, they ‘ll show up on a routine dental X-ray, even if they are in a primary stage.

The doctor may also use a CT scan to get a more detailed look at your mouth, teeth, and jaw.

TREATMENT

Since the majority of supernumerary teeth will cause clinical problems, detecting and treating them as soon as possible is very important.

Treatment generally consists of removing the teeth.