Hypodontia

Hypodontia is defined as the developmental absence of one or more teeth, excluding the third molars. It is one of the most common dental anomalies and can harm both function and appearance. It rarely occurs in the primary teeth, which are also called deciduous, milk or baby teeth, and the most commonly affected teeth are the adult second premolars and the upper lateral incisors. It usually occurs as part of a syndrome that involves other abnormalities and therefore needs multidisciplinary treatment. The phenomenon is subdivided by the number of teeth concerned: hypodontia proper means one to six missing teeth excluding third molars, oligodontia means six or more missing permanent teeth excluding third molars, and anodontia means the complete absence of teeth.