PEGGED TEETH- MEANING, CAUSES AND TREATMENT

1. Pegged Teeth- Meaning, Causes and Treatment All of us would love to have a gleaming smile on our face. It usually a result of crystal white beaming teeth. But what will happen when the teeth have a cone-shape and are significantly smaller than average, there might not be that attraction as compared to normal. It is known as a pegged teeth. These types of teeth are a type of a dental disorder, microdontia, that is a developmental disturbance of teeth and happens generally due to congenital reasons. Sometimes pegged teeth are also referred to as Dracula teeth. These types of teeth are tapered in shape and usually occur in the lateral incisors.

2. The presence of pegged teeth may address a congenital defect or an underlying disease. It occurs sometimes when the second tooth on either side of the two front teeth doesn’t develop correctly and appears smaller and pointier compared to the other permanent teeth. People having peg laterals often feel self-conscious especially when they have smaller or misshapen teeth. Even in some cases, pegged teeth can be baby teeth which have never been replaced by permanent teeth. In other cases, it can be a hereditary condition when the tooth is noticeably pointy and cone-shaped. To get an ideal bite with the front teeth, it is mandatory that half a dozen upper and lower front teeth should be in proportion to each other. Peg laterals are responsible to throw off this proportion. Like, if someone has an ideal bite, he or she will be left with spaces around the peg lateral(s). One of the best ways to correct this condition is to restore the adequate proportion of the upper to lower teeth along with upper front teeth’s proportion to each other.

3. Peg Lateral Causes Two of the common causes of peg laterals are genetics and developmental anomaly. Genetic inheritance means people with peg laterals have parents with the same condition. It happens sometimes where multiple generations all exhibit a common growth pattern. There is an extremely rare condition known as incontinent pigmentation chromians. It is a birth defect that results in abnormal teeth, hypo-pigmented skin and sometimes contains neurological issues.

4. When a tooth doesn’t develop correctly, it is counted as a developmental anomaly. One of the most infamous causes of peg teeth is supposed to be congenital syphilis. The shape of such teeth can be formed if the mother did not begin penicillin treatment before the development of the teeth. Even ectodermal dysplasia is a hereditary condition that can cause peg teeth. This type of condition can cause abnormalities of not only peg teeth but also with skin and hair.

5. More About Peg Teeth These types of abnormal teeth in adults can grow on either side of the jaw and the condition typically affects the single lateral incisors. When a person comes into an adolescent age, it is clear that having a lingering baby tooth is unlikely. In order to confirm whether it is baby teeth or peg teeth, it is necessary to visit your dentist to clear the confusion. Natural Pegincisors are believed to be connatural, however, they might get unnoticed until adulthood. Despite their unusual appearance, a person does not need to feel panic about the peg teeth.

6. Having a presence of peg teeth doesn’t mean that a person’s oral and general health is affected. The only thing is that the presence of such teeth can point to an underlying current condition or connatural defect that should be dealt with. They can’t be fully functional due to their size, however, they will not cause bite or alignment issues. Though the gaps are found between them, the position of their neighboring teeth won’t shift. In very rare cases, teeth inside the teeth can appear. Yet, this dental malformation is not linked directly with the peg teeth.

7. Treatment Although there is not medical essentiality of correcting the peg teeth, there would have been so many people around the world who do not feel great about them, being quite self-conscious at the time of smiling. The treatments are not complicated, but very much expensive, and they are helpful in bringing self-confidence again in a significant way. These procedures have been mentioned below.

8. Veneers They are super-thin covering that is fixed to the front surface of the teeth. The surgeon will prepare and shape the pegged teeth with the help of a dental drill. After that, a model of the affected teeth around it will be made. After the process, the veneer will cover your teeth and create an appearance of normally-sized teeth. However, they can chip and fall off especially when the underlying teeth suffer from decay is very small or damaged. Resins Sometimes it is also known as dental bonding. Resins are often used to restore the chipped teeth. The surgeon will apply a tooth-coloured composite material that will be made up of plastic resin and glass to the peg teeth. Then he will build up their size until it matches the other teeth. The composite begins out as a liquid which the dentist paints it on the broken teeth and it will harden with a curing light. Different layers of this material are often applied to provide a correct shape and translucency to the teeth. The overall process is quite painless and local anaesthesia is not required usually. Resins can also chip off over time, that’s why you need to follow the instructions carefully to keep the bonded teeth healthy and infant.

9. Crowns It is supposed to be more complex than veneers and resins. A crown for peg teeth will cover much or even all of the existing teeth. The teeth will get reshaped so the cap will fit adequately and the local anaesthetic may be required for providing comfort. The dentist will make a model of the bite after the teeth are prepared and will provide you a temporary crown until the permanent is made. Dental crowns prove to be extremely strong and lifelike, resistant to stains, and expected to last for years.