When yousee missing teeth in children, always ask about the family history. Heredity is significant. Hypodontia is a term used by British dentists. The term oligodontia is used by the British when more than half the teeth are missing. Errors in skeletal alignment.
Malpositioned jaws disrupt normal tooth relationships.
Soft tissue problems. The incidence of malocclusion tends to be greater in 'civilized' societies with Western diets and living styles. It is a complex problem with no single answer. Illustration of maxillary lateral incisor variability and an unerupted maxillary central incisor -In the mixed dentition, the deciduous second molars have a special importance for the integrity of the permanent dentition. The first permanent molars at age six years erupt distal to the second deciduous molars.