Definition
- Microdontia is when the teeth are abnormally small
- Macrodontia is when the teeth are abnormally large

Classification
- True generalised microdontia is very rare and occurs in pituitary dwarfism
- Relative generalised microdontia is when all teeth appear smaller relative to enlarged jaws
- Localised microdontia is also termed focal or pseudo-microdontia
- Localised microdontia is often associated with hypodontia (reduced number of teeth)

Causes
- Congenital hypopituitarism
- Ectodermal dysplasia
- Down syndrome
- Ionizing radiation to the jaws during tooth development
- Chemotherapy during tooth development

Treatment
- Unerupted microdonts may require surgical removal to prevent cyst formation
- Erupted microdonts, especially peg laterals, may cause cosmetic concern
- Restoring such teeth to resemble normal size is possible with composite build-ups or crowns
- Severe cases may require orthodontics to close gaps between teeth
- Treatment options may vary depending on individual cases

Epidemiology
- Females are more affected by microdontia than males
- Microdontia occurs more frequently in permanent (adult) teeth than deciduous (baby) teeth
- The condition's prevalence in upper laterals is just under 1%
- Statistics on the overall prevalence of microdontia vary across populations
- Further research is needed to determine the exact epidemiology of microdontia

Microdontia (Wikipedia)

Microdontia is a condition in which one or more teeth appear smaller than normal. In the generalised form, all teeth are involved. In the localised form, only a few teeth are involved. The most common teeth affected are the upper lateral incisors and third molars.

Microdontia
Radiograph (X-ray) showing microdontia. Note also periapical lesion on the maxillary left lateral incisor.
SpecialtyDentistry

Teeth affected by microdontia may also have abnormal shape, and the abnormal size may affect the whole tooth, or only a part of the tooth.

Microdontia (Wiktionary)

English

Etymology

micro- +‎ -odont +‎ -ia

Noun

microdontia (uncountable)

  1. A condition in which the teeth are, or appear, smaller than normal

Synonyms

Anagrams

... Read More
chevron-down linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram