Dental findings in the diagnosis of idiopathic hypoparathyroidism

Abstract

Idiopathic hypoparathyroidism (IHP) is a rare endocrinopathy, characterized by the disturbances in calcium and phosphorous metabolism, owing to deficiency in parathyroid hormone, which leads to tetanic manifestations. Onset of the clinical features occurs early in life, and the severity depends on the extent of chemical imbalance. This article describes a case of 22-year-old patient undiagnosed for 12 years with this endocrinopathy (IHP). Over retained deciduous teeth, delayed eruption, impacted tooth and short roots probably resulting from untreated hypocalcemia during the developmental phase of dentition enabled us to unearth this endocrinopathy through a series of investigations. Thus the article emphasizes the importance of dental findings of this endocrinopathy.