While most people are familiar with common issues (such as dental carries or impacted wisdom teeth), there are some issues that are far less common and less known.
Anodontia
Anodontia (also known as Hypodontia) is a condition where some teeth never grow in place. Depending on how many teeth are missing, dentists either treat it with implants, dentures, or simply shifting teeth over to fill in the gap.
Talon Cusps
This condition involves a talon-like protrusion that grows at the back of a child’s tooth. It usually occurs behind incisors or canines. These protrusions can cause problems such as a misaligned bite, irritation of the mouth, and even plaque buildup.
Treatment can involve either grinding down the “talon”, or, if the growth contains pulp, a root canal.
Geminated Teeth
When two teeth grow out from the same root, this condition is known as Geminated Teeth. While the teeth share one tooth, they each have their own tooth chamber with pulp.
Based on how this tooth interacts with other teeth, it may be removed or left alone.
Supernumerary Teeth (Hyperdontia)
Just as there’s a condition of not having enough teeth, there’s also a condition of having too many teeth. This is called Hyperdontia. Hyperdontia usually involves only one extra tooth, but it can be more. These teeth rarely erupt and usually develop inside the gums, which can cause all sorts of crowding and misalignment with other teeth.
When a dentist spots one of these, they will usually recommend having it extracted.
