Living with Anodontia
A dental condition in which a person has no teeth, often with changes in hair, nails, or sweat glands.
Understanding Anodontia
Baby (primary) teeth, adult (permanent) teeth, or both may be missing. In most cases it is linked to a group of conditions called ectodermal dysplasias. In those cases, the hair, nails, and sweat glands are also affected.
Signs & symptoms
GARD doesn't list specific symptoms for this condition, but its summary describes these features:
- Complete absence of teeth
- Missing baby (primary) teeth
- Missing adult (permanent) teeth
- Changes in the hair, nails, or sweat glands (in many cases)
Not everyone has every symptom. GARD's list comes from the Human Phenotype Ontology.
Diagnosis
- 1Talk with your doctor
Share the symptoms you've noticed, when they started and your family health history. Notes and photos can help.
- 2See a specialist
Specialists who may be involved include genetic specialists and gum, teeth and mouth specialists.
- 3Ask which tests can help
Your care team will decide which exams and tests can confirm the diagnosis.
- 4Connect with expert centers
National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias may keep lists of experts for this condition.
Care & treatment
- Care team
- Genetic specialists (geneticists); Gum, teeth and mouth specialists (odontologists)
- Expert care
- Expert lists: National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias
- Treatment
- GARD doesn't list specific treatments for this condition. Your care team will tailor care to your symptoms.
- Research
- Clinical trials and observational studies may be options. See the research section below.
General information, not medical advice. Your care team makes the decisions.
Everyday life
Living with a rare condition is easier with support.
- Connect with National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias
- Keep notes on symptoms, changes and questions for appointments
- Ask about patient registries that help research
- Look into financial aid and travel resources for care visits
Quick facts
GARD says changes in genes (also called variants) cause anodontia. It is autosomal recessive, meaning a child inherits a changed copy of the gene from each parent.
Also known as: agomphiasis; agomphosis; anodontia vera; anodontism; complete absence of teeth; complete agenesis of all teeth
Patient organizations
- National Foundation for Ectodermal DysplasiasAnodontia · United States
You are more than your diagnosis
Perspectives from people navigating life with Anodontia.
Explore research for Anodontia
Explore actively recruiting Anodontia studies with HealthSpark.
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- Recruiting studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
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- Eligibility is confirmed by the study team
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Powered by HealthSpark, our AI chat helper · Study information from ClinicalTrials.gov · Eligibility is confirmed by the study team.
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