Hyperdontia refers to extra teeth that might grow on one or both sides of a mouth. As a parent, finding an extra tooth/teeth in your child’s mouth can be confusing and alarming as well. But, this condition doesn’t always require treatment.
However, some pediatric dentists recommend removing extra teeth as early as possible, as hyperdontia can be dangerous for kids. This is because hyperdontia can interfere with oral hygiene and normal teeth eruption patterns, which can lead to malocclusion.
What is Hyperdontia?
Hyperdontia is a medical term that demonstrates the condition of having one extra tooth or several teeth in the mouth. When the teeth are more than a set of 20 primary teeth or 32 permanent teeth, these are called supernumerary teeth. These extra teeth can appear alone or in clusters and can be erupted or impacted, depending on various environmental factors.
How common is it to have hyperdontia?
Hyperdontia represents around 1-3% of all dental anomalies, which affects permanent dentition much more than primary dentition. According to a 2015 research, hyperdontia’s prevalence rate is around 2.6%, showing dominance in the male population and anterior maxilla with respect to location.
What are the Types of Supernumerary Teeth?
Supernumerary teeth can be classified according to their location in the oral cavity and their shapes. The following are the most common types:
According to the Location
- Mesiodens – Most common supernumerary teeth erupt behind and between the upper central incisors.
- Mesiodens – Most common supernumerary teeth erupt behind and between the upper central incisors.
- Paramolars – These teeth erupt either buccally or lingually on the sides of the molar teeth.
According to the Shapes
- Conical or Peg-shaped – Cone-like extra teeth having a single cusp, often as mesiodens.
- Tuberculate – These supernumerary teeth have more than one cusp, giving the appearance of a barrel.
- Supplemental – It can grow as a normal tooth (usually an incisor, premolar, or molar).
- Odontoma – A benign tumor composed of multiple small, tooth-like structures (compound) or an irregular mass composed of dental tissue (complex).
Is hyperdontia dangerous for kids?
Having extra teeth isn’t dangerous for health or doesn’t pose a threat to life. However, it can cause various dental complications that can badly affect a child’s oral function and development, such as:
- Extra teeth can push the adjacent or nearby teeth from their normal position, which can lead to crowding in the jaw and causing malocclusion or a “bad bite.”
- A supernumerary tooth can block the normal eruption pathway of permanent teeth, either causing impaction or leading to eruption due to its irregular position.
- Extra teeth can cause extra pressure to the gums, resulting in swelling, pain, chewing difficulties, tenderness, and infection.
- Supernumerary teeth often lead to impaction, following the formation of cysts.
- Impacted extra teeth within the jawbone can apply unnecessary pressure on the roots of the erupted teeth, causing resorption and mobility.
- Dismolar or paramolar doesn’t cause aesthetic issues. However, mesiodens can often cause flaring of incisors or extra spacing, which can cause extreme social discomfort or speech problems.
Causes of Hyperdontia in Kids
Apart from years of research, no specific cause of hyperdontia has been identified yet. However, several factors have been identified as contributing factors to the development of this condition.
It can be a result of environmental factors, genetic predisposition, overactive dental lamina, or can be associated with certain medical disorders (such as Gardener Syndrome, cleft lip and palate, Down’s syndrome, Cleidocranial Dysplasia, Fabry Disease, Goldenhar Syndrome, Marfan Syndrome or Ehlers Danlos Syndrome Type III).
Diagnosis of Hyperdontia
Extra teeth usually get diagnosed during a routine oral examination. Suppose a dentist finds some signs of hyperdontia. In that case, they recommend getting X-rays to confirm the presence of extra teeth (if embedded in the jaw) or their position to analyze whether it is damaging other teeth or not.
Usually, pediatric digital X-rays (OPG or PA) are recommended for detection, and rarely, 3D CT scans are recommended if routine dental radiographs cannot accurately diagnose their position.
Treatment of Hyperdontia in Kids
Early detection and treatment of extra teeth are key to optimizing a child’s oral health and function. However, some cases of hyperdontia don’t require treatment but a quite different approach.
Tooth Extraction:
The most frequent treatment of hyperdontia in children is pediatric tooth extraction. Extraction of supernumerary teeth under local anesthesia is usually recommended when extra teeth cause crowding or chewing difficulties. This approach ensures a safe, comfortable, and pain-free dental journey for young patients.
Orthodontic Treatment:
Another approach to treat hyperdontia in kids is to opt for orthodontic treatment through braces or orthodontic appliances. There are usually two conditions when orthodontic treatment is applicable for the treatment of extra teeth.
First, when there is no permanent tooth on the radiograph coming out, excess teeth can be utilized to fill the left space in the dental arch if its condition allows it. Secondly, if supernumerary teeth have already produced malalignment, pediatric dentists recommend ortho treatment after the extraction to align teeth properly and prevent future dental issues.
Monitoring:
Some dentists recommend only monitoring the extra tooth until it doesn’t cause any problems. Monitoring of supernumerary teeth is also done to determine intervention as to whether extraction or an orthodontic approach would be a suitable option to align teeth properly.
Surgery:
If extra teeth are situated deep in the jawbone and are not suitable for simple extraction, oral surgery is the only option left to treat this condition. This procedure is usually done under general anesthesia, specifically for kids, to ensure the process goes smoothly, comfortably, and pain-free.
In the surgical extraction of the extra tooth, the dentist raises the flap under anesthesia, removes the bone superficially to make the tooth visible, splits up the tooth with a burr or directly removes it at once, and then sutures the flap again to let it heal by primary intention.
After any treatment approach, oral hygiene and pediatric regular dental checkups are essential to maintain the oral health of kids and ensure they do not acquire any complications.
Should You Worry About Hyperdontia?
Hyperdontia isn’t always dangerous for kids, but it’s still important to have it checked early. Taking your child to a pediatric dentist Fremont for an initial consultation can help identify any concerns and create a personalized treatment plan. With early diagnosis and care, you can prevent future dental problems and support a lifetime of healthy smiles.
