A Genetic Aetiology for Some Common Dental Anomalies: A Pilot Twin Study

Abstract

This pilot study investigated the aetiology of various dental anomalies. Twin-pair correlations were obtained for the total number of missing, ectopic, malformed and rotated permanent teeth which were scored from panoramic radiographs of 59 monozygotic (identical) and 42 dizygotic (non-identical) twin-pairs. All monozygotic (MZ) twin correlations were greater than the dizygotic (DZ) twin correlations, suggesting a significant hereditary aetiology. A familial history of such common dental anomalies could become a valuable asset in treatment planning.

Keywords

• twins
• genetic factors
• dental anomalies