PACT Spry Menu Pages
Tooth Exfoliation
Early
Exfoliation: Falling out of the teeth.
exfoliation may result from any of the following causes:
 
Tooth destruction from dental caries
 
Trauma
 
Endocrine disorders (eg, diabetes,
Hypophosphatasia: A congenital metabolic disorder characterized by a deficiency of alkaline phosphatase and usually resulting in demineralization of bone.
hypophosphatasia)
 
Immune disorders (eg,
Neutropenia: Leukopenia in which the decrease in white blood cells is chiefly in neutrophils.
neutropenia, neutophil defects, HIV)
 
Other disorders, such as Ehlers Danlos syndrome type VIII, or eosinophilic granuloma/Langerhan’s Cell Histiocytosis

Delayed tooth loss can be caused by a variety of disorders. Consider the following potential causes:
 
Endocrine disorders (eg, hypothyroidism,
Hypopituitarism: Deficient production of growth hormones by the pituitary gland.
hypopituitarism)
 
Ectodermal dysplasias
 
Genetic disorders, such as Down syndrome, Apert syndrome, Achondroplasia, and Osteogenesis imperfecta
 
 
Tooth loss is also known as exfoliation.
 
Both early and delayed tooth loss should be evaluated to determine the underlying cause.
 
Caries, trauma, and a variety of medical disorders can result in early tooth loss.
 
Global delay in tooth loss most commonly results from an endocrine or genetic disorder.
View the Chapter 2 Photo Gallery.