The rare dental condition regional odontodysplasia is also called ghost teeth because the damaged teeth look more transluscent under an x-ray. The condition causes a section of teeth to improperly develop, which leaves the teeth brittle and prone to problems with the root canal, crown and enamel.

Treatment of ghost teeth involves trying to restore and maintain the tooth's structural health as long as possible before opting for extraction and replacement. Here are a few of the specific treatments suggested for ghost teeth:

Root Canals

If the ghost teeth in question have already erupted or fully grown in, one of the first courses of treatment might be root canals. Ghost teeth tend to present with inflamed dental pulp, which is the material at the top of the root canal within the tooth. This inflammation can cause pain, redness and eventual tooth decay.

A root canal procedure starts with the dentist removing your natural dental crown. The inflamed material is then carefully scraped out. An antibiotic wash is used to further treat the canal before an artificial crown is used to close everything back up.

Root canals and oral healthcare combined are among the best options of keeping erupted ghost teeth healthy for as long as possible. But eventually extraction will likely be required and some sort of dental replacement will then follow.

Partial Dentures

If you are young enough that your jaw is still developing, extracted ghost teeth will likely need to be replaced with a partial denture. A small plate of artificial teeth are created to fit into the vacated area by either sliding tightly over the gums or hooking around neighboring healthy teeth.

The removable nature of the dentures allows your jaw the freedom to keep growing as needed. And the dentures' presence means that neighboring teeth won't lean into the hole caused by the missing teeth, which would cause further bite issues.

Why a partial denture instead of a bridge? A dental bridge requires there to be healthy neighboring teeth that the artificial crowns can attach to in order to support the artificial teeth in the middle. Because ghost teeth affects an entire region of the mouth, you likely don't have healthy teeth close enough together to support a bridge.

Dental Implants

If your jaw has finished developing, your dentist might recommend dental implants as your post-extraction option. Implants involve inserting a metal artificial root into your jawbone and allowing the bone and tissue to form around that root. An artificial tooth is then snapped onto the root.

Dental implants are one of the more natural feeling tooth replacement options because the root holds the tooth fairly stable. So chewing and talking should feel somewhat natural once you get accustomed to the implant. And dental implants aren't reliant on how many healthy teeth are in the surrounding area.

Ghost teeth doesn't present with any bone issues, but you could have a concurrent problem with infection-related decay. In that case, you might need to undergo a bone graft before the dental implant procedure. Should you have other concerns or questions, get in contact with a professional such as Dr. Paul Goodman to address these issues.