Ectodermal dysplasia is not categorized as a single disorder, but a group of disorders that are all closely related. Ectodermal dysplasias are genetic disorders that affect the tissues derived from the embryonic ectoderm. These include the skin and its appendage (hair follicles, eccrine glands, sebaceous glands, nails) and teeth. Depending on the disorder, ectodermal dysplasias can also affect the ears, nerves, fingers and toes. Dr. P. Thurman was the first doctor to describe a patient suffering from ectodermal dysplasia in 1848, but the term was not coined until 1929 by a doctor named Weech. Now, in 2015, there are over 192 disorders that have been identified, with symptoms that can range from mild to serve. These disorders, being genetic, can be inherited in five ways; (1) spontaneous mutations (2) autosomal dominant (3) autosomal recessive (4) X-linked dominant (5) X-linked recessive. Also, with the variety of inheritance, not all individuals affected with Ectodermal dysplasias will have physical abnormalities that fit the description of the typical disorder. The X-linked recessive form of …show more content…
This results in missing teeth and cone-shaped teeth. Early intervention is necessary to allow normal physiological development and accurate masticatory function. Because of the young age and the small amount of alveolar bone, most oral surgeons choose the prosthetic route to help children to able to chew, swallow and eat normally. This ectodermal dysplasia can sometimes be misdiagnosed as dentin dysplasia, which is also a genetic disorder involving the morphology of the teeth. In dentin dysplasia, histologic examination shows that the pulp chambers are obliterated with an unfamiliar kind of calcified matrix consisting of dentin with atypical tubular arrangement. After examination and taking in to consideration other ectodermal structures, doctors can rule out dentin