{"id":1107,"date":"2020-06-17T16:41:37","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T16:41:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mydentalpracticeblog.com\/hudsonhighlandsdentistry\/dental-care-blog\/hypodontia-and-supernumerary-teeth\/"},"modified":"2020-06-17T16:41:37","modified_gmt":"2020-06-17T16:41:37","slug":"hypodontia-and-supernumerary-teeth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mydentalpracticeblog.com\/hudsonhighlandsdentistry\/dental-care-blog\/hypodontia-and-supernumerary-teeth\/","title":{"rendered":"Hypodontia and Supernumerary Teeth"},"content":{"rendered":"

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WHILE A COMPLETE SET<\/b> of baby teeth only includes 20 teeth, adults usually end up with between 28 and 32 teeth. Why the range? Well, not everyone gets all four wisdom teeth. Plenty of people don\u2019t get any at all! Many of us who do get wisdom teeth need them removed because we don\u2019t have room for them. However, in rare cases, a person could end up with extra teeth beyond the 32, or they could have fewer than 28!<\/p>\n

An Extra Toothy Smile: Supernumerary Teeth<\/h3>\n

Hyperdontia is a condition where extra teeth (referred to as \u201csupernumerary teeth\u201d) develop in the jaw. This condition is less common with baby teeth than adult teeth, and we don\u2019t fully understand what causes it. A leading theory is that it could be the result of a tooth bud dividing<\/strong>, resulting in two teeth instead of the usual one.<\/p>\n

The extra teeth don\u2019t always look like normal teeth. They could be peg or cone shaped, have multiple cusps, or just be lumps of dental tissue. No matter what their shape is, there usually isn\u2019t room for them<\/strong>. They can remain impacted in the gums, where they cause crowding and alignment problems, and if they do manage to erupt, they may still cause these issues.<\/p>\n

Gaps: Congenitally Missing Teeth<\/h3>\n

Hypodontia is a condition where fewer than the full set of teeth develops (not counting wisdom teeth). Like hyperdontia, hypodontia is more common in adult teeth than baby teeth, but it still only affects around 5% of the population<\/strong>. The teeth most likely to be affected are the second lower premolars, followed by the upper lateral incisors, with the upper second premolars coming in third.<\/p>\n

Missing incisors or premolars can lead to difficulties with chewing, shifting in the surrounding teeth<\/strong>, bone loss in the jaw, and even loss of the surrounding teeth. The causes of this condition are not well understood, though genetics do play a role. Hypodontia may also occur in conjunction with another genetic disorder like Down syndrome, cleft palate, or ectodermal dysplasia.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a quick review of the normal set of adult teeth:<\/b><\/p>\n