Developmental Disturbances of the Jaws & Teeth – Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and conditions related to developmental disturbances of jaws and teeth from the lecture notes.

Oral Pathology

Dental specialty that studies the nature and identification of oral diseases via clinical, radiographic, and microscopic manifestations.

Lesion

A wound, injury, or pathologic change in body tissue.

Developmental Disturbances

Interruptions that occur while teeth or jaws are beginning to develop.

Growth Period

First developmental stage of teeth; includes initiation, proliferation, histodifferentiation, morphodifferentiation, and apposition stages.

Initiation Stage

Earliest tooth‐germ stage when the dental lamina first forms.

Proliferation Stage

Phase in which cells of the tooth germ multiply rapidly.

Histodifferentiation Stage

Stage when cells differentiate into specific tissue-forming types (ameloblasts, odontoblasts, etc.).

Morphodifferentiation Stage

Stage when the size and shape of the tooth are established.

Apposition Stage

Phase in which enamel and dentin matrices are laid down in layers.

Calcification Period

Second developmental phase during which mineral salts harden the tooth tissues.

Eruption Period

Third developmental phase when the tooth moves into its functional position.

Agnathia

Extremely rare congenital absence of all or part of the mandible or maxilla.

Micrognathia

Abnormally small maxilla or mandible; may be congenital or acquired.

Congenital Micrognathia

Small jaws present at birth, often linked to heart defects or Pierre-Robin syndrome.

Acquired Micrognathia

Post-natal small jaw, usually from TMJ disturbances such as ankylosis after trauma or infection.

Ankylosis (TMJ)

Pathologic fusion of the temporomandibular joint bones.

Pierre-Robin Syndrome

Non-genetic anomaly with micrognathia, cleft palate, airway obstruction, and possible heart, skeletal, or ocular defects.

Hypoxia

Deficiency of oxygen reaching body tissues.

Macrognathia

Condition of abnormally large jaws.

Paget’s Disease of Bone (Osteitis Deformans)

Chronic bone overgrowth disorder causing skull and jaw enlargement, cotton-wool radiographic pattern, and hypercementosis.

Acromegaly

Mandibular and body enlargement caused by adult hyperpituitarism.

Leontiasis Ossea

Form of fibrous dysplasia producing maxillary enlargement and leonine facial appearance.

Mandibular Prognathism

Forward positioning of the mandible relative to the maxilla, influenced by increased ramus height, body length, chin prominence, etc.

Microdontia

Teeth smaller than normal; can be generalized or involve a single tooth.

True Generalized Microdontia

All teeth are well-formed but small, as in pituitary dwarfism.

Relative Generalized Microdontia

Normal-sized teeth appear small in unusually large jaws.

Single-Tooth Microdontia

Isolated small tooth, often a peg-shaped maxillary lateral incisor or third molar.

Atavism

Reversion to ancestral characteristics, e.g., cone-shaped teeth.

Facial Hemiatrophy (Parry-Romberg Syndrome)

Progressive atrophy of tissues on one side of the face, sometimes causing microdontia on that side.

Macrodontia

Teeth larger than normal, potentially causing crowding.

True Generalized Macrodontia

All teeth are enlarged, usually associated with pituitary gigantism.

Relative Generalized Macrodontia

Normal teeth look large within small jaws.

Single-Tooth Macrodontia

Isolated oversized tooth; rare.

Facial Hemihypertrophy

Congenital enlargement of one side of the face, sometimes with larger teeth on the affected side.

Supernumerary Teeth

Extra teeth beyond the normal count; may resemble normal teeth or be rudimentary.

Dental Lamina

First epithelial band signaling tooth development around 6 weeks in utero.

Mesiodens

Most common supernumerary tooth located between the maxillary central incisors.

Peridens

Supernumerary tooth erupting outside the dental arch.

Paramolar

Additional molar situated buccally, lingually, or interproximally near maxillary molars.

Distodens (Distomolar)

Supernumerary tooth located distal to the third molar.

Paramolar Tubercle

Small enamel tubercle fused to a permanent molar.

Cleidocranial Dysostosis

Clavicle hypoplasia with numerous unerupted and supernumerary teeth.

Gardner’s Syndrome

Hereditary polyposis with osteomas, epidermoid cysts, and multiple impacted/supernumerary teeth.

Anodontia

Congenital absence of teeth because tooth germs failed to form.

True Total Anodontia

Complete absence of both deciduous and permanent teeth; very rare.

True Partial Anodontia (Hypodontia/Oligodontia)

Congenital absence of one or more, but not all, teeth.

False Anodontia

Edentulous state due to extraction of all teeth, not developmental failure.

Pseudo-Anodontia

Teeth present but unerupted owing to failure of eruption, not absence of tooth germs.

Natal Teeth

Deciduous teeth erupted at birth.

Neonatal Teeth

Teeth erupting within the first 30 days of life.

Embedded Tooth

Unerupted tooth held in bone because of insufficient eruptive force.

Impacted Tooth

Unerupted tooth blocked by a physical barrier such as adjacent teeth or bone.

Class I Impaction (Pell & Gregory)

Enough space exists between the second molar and ramus to accommodate the third-molar crown.

Class II Impaction

Space distal to the second molar is less than the third-molar crown width.

Class III Impaction

Most or all of the third-molar crown lies within the ramus.

Position A (Third Molar)

Highest point of impacted third molar at or above occlusal plane of the second molar.

Position B (Third Molar)

Highest point below occlusal plane but above cervical line of the second molar.

Position C (Third Molar)

Highest point below the cervical line of the second molar.

Mesioangular Impaction

Third molar angled mesially toward the second molar; most common impaction direction.

Distoangular Impaction

Third molar crown points distally toward ramus; roots near second molar.

Vertical Impaction

Third molar upright but unable to erupt due to lack of space.

Horizontal Impaction

Third molar lies horizontally in bone, crown facing mesially.

Ankylosed Deciduous Tooth (Submerged Tooth)

Primary tooth fused to bone after root resorption, appearing below occlusal level and giving a solid percussion sound.

Sharpey’s Fibers

Collagen fibers of the periodontal ligament embedded in cementum and alveolar bone.

Rickets

Vitamin D deficiency causing delayed tooth eruption among other skeletal problems.

Cretinism

Severe childhood hypothyroidism linked to delayed eruption of teeth.

Fibromatosis Gingivae

Dense fibrous gingival overgrowth that can hinder tooth eruption.

Hypercementosis

Excess cementum deposit on tooth roots, often seen in Paget’s disease.

Cotton-Wool Appearance

Patchy radiographic pattern of bone sclerosis typical of Paget’s disease.

Fibrous Dysplasia

Bone disorder with fibrous tissue replacing normal bone, sometimes producing leontiasis ossea.

Neurofibromatosis

Genetic disorder causing nerve sheath tumors; considered in differential diagnosis of facial overgrowth.

Diphosphonates

Medications that inhibit bone resorption, used in Paget’s disease therapy.

Calcitonin

Thyroid hormone antagonist to parathormone, suppressing bone resorption in Paget’s disease.

Odontogenesis

Origin and formation of developing teeth.