Cessation of dental development in a child with idiopathic hypoparathyroidism: a 5-year follow-up

Idiopathic hypoparathyroidism is a rare endocrinopathy whose origin is unknown, and which is characterized by a deficiency of parathyroid hormone causing low serum calcium and high serum phosphorus concentrations. Disorders of ectodermal tissues are common in this pathology, and enamel hypoplasia is the most frequently found dental pathology. This article describes the case of a 9-year-old child with hypoparathyroidism that had gone undiagnosed for 6 years. The permanent dentition showed enamel hypoplasia, delayed eruption, and cessation of root formation (i.e., shortened roots), resulting from nontreated hypocalcemia during the developmental phase of the dentition.