Dental Agenesis: Types and Treatments

Dental agenesis is a problem that many people suffer from. In this article, discover what it is and how to treat it.

Dental agenesis is one of the most common malformations thatmanifests itself through the absence of one or more teeth. It’s not caused by poor dental hygiene.

It’s a congenital problem that usually manifests in several members of the same family. This problem, contrary to what we may think, doesn’t affect all of the teeth, but instead the incisors and premolars.

A quick diagnosis is essential because the sooner the problem is diagnosed, the sooner it can be treated. The treatments consist of replacing the missing teeth or correcting them. This will keep the problem from worsening and, therefore, may boost the patient’s self-esteem.

In this article, we’ll share the causes, types, and treatments for dental agenesis.

What Are the Causes of Dental Agenesis?

Although dental agenesis is usually an inherited condition, there are many other reasons why a person may develop this disease.

The most common is a physical obstruction or interruption that doesn’t allow the tooth to form correctly. Thus, it may eventually fall out or be incomplete.

Not having enough space may be another reason why dental agenesis may manifest. Many patients have overlapping teeth due to a lack of space.

However, those who suffer from dental agenesis may also suffer from odontogenesis issues, which means that their teeth may not form as they should. This makes some teeth never erupt.

Types of Dental Agenesis

Dental agenesis is the absence or malformation of several teeth. However, whether or not this affects all or only some of them depends on certain factors. These range from the type of inherited agenesis to how quickly the problem was diagnosed and the patient started treatment.

Here are the types of agenesis:

• Hypodontia is characterized by the absence of between 1 and 6 teeth.
• Oligodontia is the absence of more than 6 teeth.
• Anodontia is the most severe type and is characterized by the complete absence of all teeth.

Patients with hypodontia or oligodontia may have missing teeth on one or both sides of their mouth. If they only have missing teeth on one side of their mouth, they suffer from unilateral agenesis. However, if they have missing teeth on both sides, they have bilateral agenesis.

Available Treatments

If you suspect you have dental agenesis, you should go see a dentist or doctor for confirmation. Only then can you start treatment.

Here are some of the possible medical solutions:

Dental implants

This is the most common treatment in cases of dental agenesis.

Depending on your age, the condition your teeth are in, or the number of missing teeth, your dentist may determine that the best treatment for you are dental implants.

This is a procedure that’s usually performed when some teeth are damaged or have fallen out.An implant is an artificial tooth that attaches to the gum. Dentists do this with a kind of screw that is implanted in the jawbone.

The dentist has to carefully examine the state of the gums to see if this treatment will yield satisfactory results. Therefore, we recommend seeing a trusted professional.

Orthodontics

You can resort to this treatment if you suffer from hypodontia.

If you have hypodontia, perhaps you can opt for orthodontics instead of dental implants. This treatment will help close the remaining gaps between your teeth so you don’t have to get tooth implants.

There’s also the possibility of a partial prosthesis. However, this would be the last resort in case none of the above treatments are feasible.

To ensure desired results, it’s very important to select a dentist that has already treated dental agenesis.

Does anyone you know suffer from this problem? Do you suffer from it? As you have seen, there are treatments that can help you resolve it as soon as possible.