In the disease classified as “ectodermal dysplasia,” there may exist many variations in the total number of teeth that are congenitally absent, the classic dental finding being anodontia with underdeveloped dental arches. In this particular study, there were a few cases in which the dental findings suggested possible ectodermal dysplasia; however, the other findings were generally absent, so these cases were not indexed as ectodermal disease and, hence, not included. The marvel may be not that variations in the dentition do occur but rather that they do not occur with greater frequency.
In progeria the dentition does not seem to suffer as does the rest of the organism. There is a tendency. for delayed eruption of the deciduous teeth to occur and an awareness of the overcrowding which obviously would follow the eruption of the secondary dentition because of the lack of dimensional jaw development. No opportunity presented to allow examination of the dental tissues or their supporting structures in the two cases of progeria herein described.