Hypodontia (missing teeth)

HH93 · 2025-09-25T15:29:43+00:00

My son is about to turn 9, and has been missing his upper lateral incisors for 12 months now. With no sign of growth. We have another dentist appointment in a few weeks, on the last one they said if there’s still no sign they are going to refer him for a head scan at the hospital to see if they’re there or not. I know it’s nothing to ‘worry’ about, just wondered has anyone had children go through this and found that they do indeed have hypodontia? What happens next? just to add, we have no history of this on either side of the family. thank you 🤍

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Kary26 · 25/09/2025 16:37

My daughter had one tooth still not come through pre pandemic. It had been a late 1st tooth so we just thought it was delayed. After that was over they xrayed and found it was missing. She had many orthodontic appointments. Finally now at 16 she is having braces on the nhs for 2 years to make a big enough space for an implant as the teeth spread out to fill the gap..
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Original poster

HH93 · 25/09/2025 16:41

Thank you for letting me know!!
it’s the unknown that’s causing me to worry.

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catSlaveToTwo · 25/09/2025 16:41

Yes I have it my parents and had a massive row about it in front of us all were unaware but apparently my Uncle had it - 6 teeth for him - and the denstist asked them if one of them came from a local town which Dmum family did apparently a known issue in that area.

My siblings did not have it and my neice and newphew don't either.

All my DC have had it - all two teeth but slightly different ones - have all had braces on NHS though have all had slightly different issues to sort as well. You couldn't tell at end of treatment.

I didn't have orthodontist treatment dentist had tried a brace and my parents were already tired of back and forth - and have been left with two mik teeth was todl they wouldn't last but still there and I'm near 50. When they do go I'll likley get a bridge in.

Kids all had dental xray done at dentist to check for teeth - one there put them on orthodotsit waiting lists - and then more full scans at orthodontists before treatment - but there were more issues that gaps and missing teeth.

Sosigrole · 25/09/2025 16:46

My daughter had one missing, ended up going private where she had braces to widen the space a bit more and a bridge put in which will last a fair few years then she may decide to pay for a dental implant when she is older.

Although I don't have a missing tooth, my tooth where my daughters is missing was abnormally very, very small, looked like a baby tooth so I had a crown put on it to make it a normal size so possibly inherited from me?

Original poster

HH93 · 25/09/2025 16:48

catSlaveToTwo · 25/09/2025 16:41

Yes I have it my parents and had a massive row about it in front of us all were unaware but apparently my Uncle had it - 6 teeth for him - and the denstist asked them if one of them came from a local town which Dmum family did apparently a known issue in that area.

My siblings did not have it and my neice and newphew don't either.

All my DC have had it - all two teeth but slightly different ones - have all had braces on NHS though have all had slightly different issues to sort as well. You couldn't tell at end of treatment.

I didn't have orthodontist treatment dentist had tried a brace and my parents were already tired of back and forth - and have been left with two mik teeth was todl they wouldn't last but still there and I'm near 50. When they do go I'll likley get a bridge in.

Kids all had dental xray done at dentist to check for teeth - one there put them on orthodotsit waiting lists - and then more full scans at orthodontists before treatment - but there were more issues that gaps and missing teeth.

This is really insightful! Thank you for sharing your story with me!

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Original poster

HH93 · 25/09/2025 16:49

Sosigrole · 25/09/2025 16:46

My daughter had one missing, ended up going private where she had braces to widen the space a bit more and a bridge put in which will last a fair few years then she may decide to pay for a dental implant when she is older.

Although I don't have a missing tooth, my tooth where my daughters is missing was abnormally very, very small, looked like a baby tooth so I had a crown put on it to make it a normal size so possibly inherited from me?

Edited

Thank you for sharing this with me!, did you happen to have a history of it in the family?

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Kelvinator1 · 25/09/2025 17:36

I'm missing 8!! No family history. Several implants 20 + yrs old now, one baby tooth still hanging on....

raven0007 · 25/09/2025 18:02

I have 4 missing. Those 4 baby teeth didn’t fall out so my dentist pulled them without doing an x ray. They then found out I had no second teeth in those spots, and no wisdom teeth. I already had a big gap between my front teeth, which worsened due to my teeth moving into the missing teeth gaps. I ended up with braces to close the gaps ( first molars ) I have a large gum area at the back of my mouth which isn’t noticeable to anyone else.
i can also feel the gaps in the bone on my jaw.

Summerhillsquare · 25/09/2025 18:11

Mine didn't come through til 11, I didn't think that was unusually late!

GeneticQ · 25/09/2025 18:24

It's unlikely to be this as you'd almost certainly have noticed other symptoms by the age of 9, but a genetic condition called Ectodermal Dysplasia usually includes hypodontia. It runs in our family and has many variants.

Some members of my family have hypodontia alone, which means they're not classified as having ED.

Anyway, there's a lot more known about it now and a lot of expertise in how to fill the gaps if there are missing teeth - expertise which applies whether or not an individual has ED.

ED Society - Ectodermal Dysplasia share.google/e9idYedeH142mEa9X

Watto1 · 25/09/2025 18:30

Both of my dc are missing both upper lateral incisors. Inherited from dh. Dd had braces to close the gap and her canines shaped to look less like canines. Her teeth look lovely now. Ds has just started the same process.

Doughnuting · 25/09/2025 18:32

Yes, my daughter had both lateral incisors missing for both infant and adult teeth. It was decided that they would close the gap with braces and squash all teeth together. Her canine teeth wore down and were less pointy as they had been doing the job meant for the missing incisors. Therefore, when they were squashed together you couldn’t and still can’t notice. Even a new dentist she had a few months after her braces were removed didn’t notice they were missing. She was lucky to have all this treatment on the NHS and took about two years in total.

Original poster

HH93 · 25/09/2025 20:30

GeneticQ · 25/09/2025 18:24

It's unlikely to be this as you'd almost certainly have noticed other symptoms by the age of 9, but a genetic condition called Ectodermal Dysplasia usually includes hypodontia. It runs in our family and has many variants.

Some members of my family have hypodontia alone, which means they're not classified as having ED.

Anyway, there's a lot more known about it now and a lot of expertise in how to fill the gaps if there are missing teeth - expertise which applies whether or not an individual has ED.

ED Society - Ectodermal Dysplasia share.google/e9idYedeH142mEa9X

Oh I haven’t heard of this before, I’ll have to read up. Thanks for an insight into this!

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Original poster

HH93 · 25/09/2025 20:31

Doughnuting · 25/09/2025 18:32

Yes, my daughter had both lateral incisors missing for both infant and adult teeth. It was decided that they would close the gap with braces and squash all teeth together. Her canine teeth wore down and were less pointy as they had been doing the job meant for the missing incisors. Therefore, when they were squashed together you couldn’t and still can’t notice. Even a new dentist she had a few months after her braces were removed didn’t notice they were missing. She was lucky to have all this treatment on the NHS and took about two years in total.

Thanks so much for your help with this

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Dearg · 25/09/2025 20:47

I am missing one lateral,incisor and the other was very small. There were no obvious gaps, and to be honest I was in my 50s before my (private) dentist brought it up.

He filled out the small one to even out my look but I did not need further treatment.
I assume previous NHS Dentists were aware but didn’t think to mention it.

One of my nephews has the same formation, so assume there is something hereditary, although my mum showed no signs and my dad’s were false so not sure where it started.

Strangely enough, my sibling had an extra tooth which caused some issues and had to be removed.

schnubbins · 25/09/2025 20:47

My now 27 yearly son has it and still has a baby tooth in place which is causing no problems at all .the tooth still has a blood supply so will stay in place for however long it survives and then an implant will be put in .he has had normal orthodontic treatment in his teens.
My husband has missing teeth as does his mother.

FusionChefGeoff · 25/09/2025 21:02

DD is missing 2 they did an X-ray at the dentist last time. She’s 10. Said they’d most likely look to close the gap rather than widen. I’m going to ask if they can refer her now but if the wait is as long as it’s been for DS (2 yrs and don’t even have an appointment for 1st consult yet) we will go private

Original poster

HH93 · 25/09/2025 21:03

FusionChefGeoff · 25/09/2025 21:02

DD is missing 2 they did an X-ray at the dentist last time. She’s 10. Said they’d most likely look to close the gap rather than widen. I’m going to ask if they can refer her now but if the wait is as long as it’s been for DS (2 yrs and don’t even have an appointment for 1st consult yet) we will go private

Did they do it at your dentist? As we were told he’d have to be referred to the hospital for it?
I wonder if it’s his age maybe?

thanks for giving me so insight into your daughters
story. Is there any history of it in yourself or her dads history?

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