The Biology Underlying Abnormalities of Tooth Number in Humans

Abstract

In past decades, morphologic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms that govern tooth development have been extensively studied. These studies demonstrated that the same signaling pathways regulate development of the primary and successional teeth. Mutations of these pathways lead to abnormalities in tooth development and number, including aberrant tooth shape, tooth agenesis, and formation of extra teeth. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on the development of the primary and successional teeth in animal models and describe some of the common tooth abnormalities in humans.

Keywords: permanent dentition; primary dentition; successional tooth formation; supernumerary tooth formation; tooth agenesis; tooth replacement.