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Congenital Malformations in the Teeth and Eyes in Mental Defectives

ABSTRACT

An investigation has been made on the occurrence of various disorders of the teeth and the lens in mental defectives. In order to ascertain the incidence of developmental malformations, 319 mental cases were examined clinically. Of these, 83 underwent slit-lamp examination of the lenses.

The structural pattern of the teeth was affected in 84 cases. The incidence of dental disorders in these patients is thus significantly higher than among the normal population.

The dental anomalies are most prevalent in mongols and the association with lenticular defects is also most pronounced in this group.

Idiopathic epileptics and the unclassified mental deficient patients show dental changes in some way different from those encountered in the mongols, but also often co-existing with lens defects.

The mental and lenticular disorders are pre-natal in origin.

The data provide evidence for the fact that the anomalies of the dentition are aetiologically related with the other congenital defects.

It is acknowledged that a defection in the layer or an interference with its normal development will induce concomitant changes in various organs of the same derivation.

Hence, the involvement of the teeth in this process in association with other congenital lesions tends to confirm the argument that the dental changes are part of a syndrome of a systemic condition.

It is considered that the aetiological factors for these disorders are in the ectoderm, and that its inherent characteristics and its mode of development play an important part in the pathogenesis.