Impairment of tooth eruption. Pathogenetic aspects.

The genetically determined impairment of tooth eruption in 4 generations is analysed on the basis of an examination of 1 family, and the variability of the characteristic "tooth infraposition" is described. Starting with a 72-year-old female patient with 1 unerupted incisor, infrapositions of primary and permanent teeth in the descendants were diagnosed. We assume hereditary susceptibility resulting from a multifactorial genetic system to be the cause.