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Article: Ectodermal dysplasias.
- Article from:
- The Dental Assistant
- Article date:
- May 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 American Dental Assistants Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Introduction
The ectodermal dysplasias are a complex group of disorders that should be recognized by all members of the dental profession. After all, there are dozens of such disorders and the teeth are involved in a significant way in many of them. A brief review of embryology and genetics will help dental assistants recognize the disorders and appreciate how to deal with the dental manifestations.
For years the consensus opinion has been that the ectodermal dysplasias (EDs) are inherited disorders that affect two or more derivatives of the embryonic ectoderm. To say that the EDs are inherited means that they are caused by mutations of various genes and ...