The Dental Needs Of A Child With Cleidocranial Dysostosis
Posted on: 31 March 2021
When a child is diagnosed with cleidocranial dysostosis, their parents will undoubtedly familiarize themselves with the various ways in which the disorder can affect their child's physical development. It's quite a rare condition, thought to only be present in one in a million births, but its effects can be quite pronounced for some children. One of these effects is your child's dental development.
Early Diagnosis
The condition is generally diagnosed when a child is still in infancy and may be suspected while the baby is still in the womb. This means that parents will not need to address their child's dental issues until such time as the teeth begin to develop. A multistage treatment will generally be required, and as such, pediatric dental specialists will likely be your child's primary dentist.
Dental Malformation
Cleidocranial dysostosis won't necessarily result in the absence of teeth, but it's common for these teeth to be malformed. Some may fail to erupt or may erupt erratically. There can even be supernumerary (extra) teeth.
Extraction
Because these teeth won't offer the necessary functionality in order to actually operate as teeth, it might be that your child's teeth will be extracted (which is definitely the case for supernumerary teeth). Clearly, toothlessness isn't an option, which is why your child may need dentures.
Dentures
These dentures will need to be periodically replaced as your child grows, reflecting the expansion of their jaw. It's difficult to identify how often this will be needed, but the dentures will require regular replacement until your child's jaw has grown to its full size.
Adult Teeth
At some point during your child's growth, their adult teeth will develop. These may develop normally, but this cannot be assumed. It might be that some teeth will grow to their proper size and offer the necessary functionality, at which point full dentures may no longer be necessary.
Long-Lasting Replacements
Full dentures may still be the best option, however once your child's jaw has grown, a long-lasting option, such as implant-supported dentures (which are permanently attached) may become appropriate. Your choices for a permanent replacement will be influenced by other factors, such as the development of the jaw, which can sometimes require surgical assistance
There's no way of knowing the extent of the dental assistance a child with cleidocranial dysostosis will need, as it's different for each patient. But dentures are likely to be necessary to ensure as much functionality as possible while your child grows.
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