What term describes someone without teeth?

What term describes someone without teeth?

• A. Edentulous
• B. Anodontia
• C. Hypodontia
• D. Hyperdontia

Answer: (A)

The main concept here is terminology for tooth presence or absence. When a person has no natural teeth, they are described as edentulous. This term covers someone who has lost all teeth due to extraction, disease, or congenital absence, and you’ll hear it used to describe the state of the mouth or the patient (for example, an edentulous maxilla). Anodontia, on the other hand, refers specifically to the congenital absence of all teeth—that is, teeth never developed. Hypodontia means that only some teeth are missing (not all), while Hyperdontia means there are extra teeth present. These describe patterns of development, whereas edentulous describes the overall condition of having no teeth.

The main concept here is terminology for tooth presence or absence. When a person has no natural teeth, they are described as edentulous. This term covers someone who has lost all teeth due to extraction, disease, or congenital absence, and you’ll hear it used to describe the state of the mouth or the patient (for example, an edentulous maxilla).

Anodontia, on the other hand, refers specifically to the congenital absence of all teeth—that is, teeth never developed. Hypodontia means that only some teeth are missing (not all), while Hyperdontia means there are extra teeth present. These describe patterns of development, whereas edentulous describes the overall condition of having no teeth.