About this Scientific Article

Malformations and rare diseases affecting the head and neck are very frequent. It is strange to say that rare diseases are “frequent”. To be objective, these pathologies are more underdiagnosed than really rare. This high prevalence in the area of the head and neck is related to the complexity of the head and neck embryology, which involves several tissues with complex edification. This situation leads to high risk of failure within the long chain of the head and neck edification.1 These failures almost systematically cause jaw misdevelopment and, as a result, malocclusions. Contrary to popular belief, these patients (even when they have some disabilities) can have their malocclusion corrected, leading to significant improvements in diet, oral function, and social integration. The correction of these malocclusions requires an extensive team, including geneticists, orthodontists, implantologists, prosthodontists, and maxillofacial surgeons.