Disease overview

Dental hypomineralization is a condition that causes excessive wear of the teeth. This can lead to irritation of the underlying structures, such as the pulp cavity, and cause tooth pain.

Gene name

FAM20C

Inheritance

Autosomal recessive

Signs and symptoms

A range of clinical signs associated with the teeth will typically present in adulthood. Affected dogs may have cracked or excessively worn teeth, and exhibit signs of tooth pain. The teeth may be discolored, or show exposed underlying structures.

How is it diagnosed

A veterinarian will conduct a thorough exam, including a review of health history and any clinical signs. Genetic testing is necessary to determine if there is an underlying genetic cause, which can assist veterinarians with diagnosis and help breeders identify affected and carrier dogs.

Breeds at higher risk

Citations

Hytönen MK, Arumilli M, Lappalainen AK, Owczarek-Lipska M, Jagannathan V, Hundi S, Salmela E, Venta P, Sarkiala E, Jokinen T, Gorgas D, Kere J, Nieminen P, Drögemüller C, Lohi H. Molecular Characterization of Three Canine Models of Human Rare Bone Diseases: Caffey, van den Ende-Gupta, and Raine Syndromes. PLoS Genet. 2016 May 17;12(5):e1006037. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006037. PMID: 27187611; PMCID: PMC4871343.

Disclaimer

Disease diagnosis and treatment should always be performed by a veterinarian. The following information is for educational purposes only.