Irregular shape of teeth: what is this, causes, symptoms, diagnostics, treatment, prevention

Synonyms: Irregularly shaped teeth; Hutchinson's incisors; Irregular shape of teeth; fused teeth; Microdontia; macrodontia; Anomaly in the size and shape of the tooth

Hutchinson incisors; Abnormal tooth shape; Peg teeth; Mulberry teeth; Conical teeth; Connate teeth; Conjoined teeth; Microdontia; Macrodontia; Mulberry molars

What is misaligned teeth

Irregular sizes and shapes of teeth are abnormal deviations in the size and shape of teeth.. The anomaly of the shape of the teeth is usually associated with congenital disorders of the anatomy of the jaws or roots of the teeth.. In the presence of such anomalies, very often there are problems when biting and chewing food., malocclusion and aesthetic disorders occur.

The appearance of normal teeth may vary, especially the molars (molar). Irregularly shaped teeth can be the result of many abnormalities and diseases.. They can affect the shape of the teeth, their color and direction of growth. Some diseases can lead to missing teeth.

Causes of misshaped teeth

Some diseases, which can cause abnormal shape and growth of teeth:

• Congenital syphilis
• Cerebral Palsy
• ectodermal (anhydrotic) Dysplasia
• Pigment incontinence
• Clavicular cranial dysostosis
• Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
• Ellis-van Creveld syndrome

When to See a Dentist for Irregular Teeth

Consult a dentist or your doctor, if the shape of your child's teeth seems abnormal.

What will the doctor do when diagnosing irregularly shaped teeth

The dentist will examine the mouth and teeth. You will be asked questions about your child's medical history and symptoms, eg:

• Does your child have any medical conditions, which can lead to misshaped teeth?
• At what age did the first teeth appear??
• In what order did the teeth erupt??
• Does your child have other dental problems? (color, distance between teeth)?
• What other symptoms did the child have??

To correct an abnormal shape, braces may be needed to improve appearance and spacing between teeth, fillings, dental restoration, installation of crowns or bridges.

It may be assigned X-ray of teeth and other diagnostic tests.

References

1. Dhar V. Development and developmental anomalies of the teeth. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 333.
2. Moore KL, Persuad TVN, Torchia MG. Integumentary system. In: Moore KL, Persuad TVN, Torchia MG, eds. The Developing Human. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier.2020:chap 19.
3. Neville BW, Damm DD, Allen CM, Chi AC. Abnormalities of teeth. In: Neville BW, Damm DD, Allen CM, Chi AC, eds. Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. 4th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2016:chap 2.