Dental and craniofacial findings in hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia during the primary dentition phase

A more detailed knowledge of dental and craniofacial features in hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (HED) during childhood is needed in order to include these characteristics among diagnostic criteria. The present study comprised 5 HED children, 4 males and 1 female, during the primary dentition phase. Clinical and radiological dental findings consisted of multiple congenitally missing primary teeth, conoid primary incisors, moderate to severe taurodontic second primary molars. Supernumerary cusps and diastema were found as well. A pattern of symmetry was assessed for hypodontia in the primary dentition. The cephalometric study compared the HED sample to a matched non-syndrome sample and revealed abnormally short maxillary depth (p < 0.05), strongly reduced lower facial height (p < 0.01) and a reduction in facial soft tissue thickness (p < 0.05 - p < 0.01) in HED children. The importance of an early diagnosis and treatment of HED dento-facial malformations so as to improve esthetics and function is stressed.