title: Epidemiological significance of Hoffmeister's "Genetically determined predisposition to disturbed development of the dentition".
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hoffmeister was the first to recognize the common genetic origin of structurally very varied disturbances in the development of the dentition. He coined the term "microsymptoms of a genetically determined predisposition to disturbed development". The purpose of the present study was to examine the incidence of those microsymptoms in a group of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The orthodontic findings in 4208 patients were evaluated, and nine characteristic symptoms were registered with reference to the panoramic and other radiographs and to the patients' records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1297 patients (30.8%) were found to have one or more symptoms of genetically determined predisposition to disturbed development. The most frequent symptoms were atypical position of tooth buds (12.2%), absence of tooth buds of permanent teeth (9.2%), and displaced teeth (7.0%). 73.5% of the patients had only one symptom, and 26.5% two or more. Microdontia and displaced teeth were associated particularly frequently with other symptoms of predisposition to disturbed development. Genetically determined predisposition to disturbed development of the dentition is accordingly not rare but is of great epidemiological significance and may provide early indications of potential developmental disorders such as missing tooth buds or displacement of teeth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, University of Rostock, Germany. Franka.Stahl@medizin.uni-rostock.de
authors.forename: Franka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.forename: Rosemarie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Grabowski
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wigger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000848:Anodontia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics*; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D012307:Risk Factors; D014071:Tooth Abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000235:genetics*