Diagnosis and Symptoms
The dental rarity can only be diagnosed by a dentist examining X-rays of the teeth, as it presents no symptoms. It is most common in Eskimos and native populations of Australia and Central America, according to a study published in the Indian Journal of Oral Sciences.
Although it is considered to be a developmental phenomenon, the precise cause of taurodontism is unknown. Some experts suggest it may be caused by a disruption in Hertwig's epithelial root sheath, the cells that initiate tooth root development.
The condition has been associated with several developmental syndromes, including Down syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, Mohr syndrome, Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome and Lowe syndrome. It has also been found in patients exhibiting ectodermal dysplasia, a genetic disorder affecting the skin, hair, nails, teeth and sweat glands, and amelogenesis imperfecta, a condition affecting the development of enamel on the teeth.