Hereditary Dental Anomalies

Abstract

Studies of dental morphology are quite frequent due to their importance for comparative anatomy, phylogeny, and dentistry (Taylor 1978; Hillson 1986; Carlsen 1987; Schumacher et al 1990; Matsumura 1995). Dental anomalies, by contrast, are seen as curiosities, and have been investigated only rarely (Brabant et al. 1958; Thoma and Goldman 1960; Pindborg 1970; Ash 1986; Schulze 1987; Schroeder 1991; Regezi and Sciubba 1993). The study of the anomalies of human teeth increases our knowledge of odontogeny and aids our understanding of ontogenetic processes by answering questions of etiology and pathogeny (Smith and Tchernov 1992). Furthermore, the knowledge obtained enables us to evaluate important aspects of evolutionary processes more precisely (Frisch 1965; Hillson 1986; Henke and Rothe 1994). Comparative studies of fossil and recent animal teeth, especially of higher primates, are therefore indispensable (Colyer 1936; Remane 1960; Alt and Türp 1997).