Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 12, 2026
Systematic Assessment of Mammalian Skull Specimens for Dental and Temporomandibular Joint Pathology
Published on: August 22, 2022
Taurodontism in children with hypodontia and supernumerary teeth: a case control study
Wayne Y W Kan1, W Kim Seow, Trevor Holcombe
1Logan-Beaudesert Division, Metro South Health Service District, Queensland Health, Queensland, Australia.
Purpose:
The aim of the present investigation was to compare the prevalence of taurodontism in the permanent mandibular first molars of nonsyndromic children with hypodontia and supernumerary teeth with age- and gender-matched controls.
Methods:
The crown-body root ratios of the permanent first molars were determined from orthopantomograms of 83 children with hypodontia (> or =1 missing teeth) and 37 children with supernumerary teeth (> or =1 extra teeth) compared with normal case controls.
Results:
In children with hypodontia, only girls showed a significantly higher tendency for taurodontism compared to case controls (P=.003), while boys with hypodontia showed a similar prevalence of taurodontism as controls (P=.83). Children with multiple missing teeth were significantly more susceptible to taurodontism than children with a single missing tooth (P=.004). By contrast, the prevalence of taurodontism in children with supernumerary teeth was not significantly different from that of controls.
Conclusions:
Compared to normal case controls, children with nonsyndromic hypodontia are more likely to show taurodontism of the permanent first molar teeth whereas children with nonsyndromic supernumerary teeth are not.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
01:21Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.