Anodontia is a genetic or congenital (hereditary) absence of one or several temporary or permanent teeth. The upper lateral incisors are among the teeth that are most often congenitally missing with an incidence of ± 2% of the population.

The palatal maxillary canine displacement in cases of partial anodontia of the maxillary lateral incisor is potentially associated with environmental changes caused by its absence in its place of formation and eruption, which would characterize an epigenetic etiology.

In an adolescent patient, the most common missing maxillary anterior tooth as a result of agenesis is the lateral incisor.1 The absence of one or more teeth is known as anodontia, and may be complete (very rare) or partial (also called hypodontia).2 It is many times more common than supernumerary teeth.3 The primary etiology of partial andontia ...

example of a cone-shaped lateral incisor, a peg lateral, a form of microdontia. This may be inherited as a dominant trait. If both parents have “peg laterals”, the homozygous child will have total anodontia of succedaneous teeth. (Am. J. or Med. Genetics 26:431-436 1987) Slide 7: congenitally missing bicuspid Slide 10: ectodermal dysplasia

The lateral incisor has an underdeveloped root and is positioned posterior to the additional tooth but closer to the midline than the normal central incisor (Fig. 4.12). Wear on the supernumerary tooth shows that it was in occlusion.