Individuals affected by certain ED syndromes cannot perspire. Their sweat glands may function abnormally or may not have developed at all because of inactive proteins in the sweat glands. Without normal sweat production, the body cannot regulate temperature properly. Therefore, overheating is a common problem, especially during hot weather. Access to cool environments is important.

Several studies have examined salivary flow rate in individuals and found parotid and submandibular salivary flow ranging from 5 to 15 times lower than average. This is consistent with the salivary glands being of ectodermal origin, although some findings have suggested that there is also mesodermal input.

Females are affected more than males, and the condition occurs in permanent (adult) teeth more than deciduous (baby teeth or milk teeth).

The actual incidence of this disease is not known, but only 243 cases have been reported in the scientific literature, suggesting an incidence of on the order of one affected person in ten million people.

There are many potential factors involved.

- Congenital hypopituitarism

- Ectodermal dysplasia

- Down syndrome

- Ionizing radiation to the jaws during tooth development (odontogenesis)

- Chemotherapy during tooth development

- Marshall syndrome

- Rieger syndrome

- Focal dermal hypoplasia

- Silver-Russell syndrome

- Williams syndrome

- Gorlin-Chaudhry-Moss syndrome

- Coffin–Siris syndrome

- Salamon syndrome

- Cleft lip and palate

Others include trichorhinopharyngeal, odontotrichomelic, neuroectodermal and dermo-odontodysplasia syndromes.

The cause of isolated missing teeth remains unclear, but the condition is believed to be associated with genetic or environmental factors during dental development. Missing teeth have been reported in association with increased maternal age, low birth weight, multiple births and rubella virus infection during embryonic life.

There is a possible correlation between tooth agenesis and innervation. A relationship was also postulated between abnormalities of the brainstem and the presence of agenesis.

Hypodontia is often familial, and can also be associated with genetic disorders such as ectodermal dysplasia or Down syndrome. Hypodontia can also be seen in people with cleft lip and palate.

Among the possible causes are mentioned genetic, hormonal, environmental and infectious.

Cause due to hormonal defects: idiopathic hypoparathyroidism and pseudohypoparathyroidism. Exists the possibility that this defect depends on a moniliasis (candidiasis, "candida endocrinopathy syndrome").

Environmental causes involving exposure to PCBs (ex.dioxin), radiation, anticancer chemotherapeutic agents, allergy and toxic epidermal necrolysis after drug.

Infectious causes of hypodontia: rubella, candida.

The Journal of the American Dental Association published preliminary data suggesting a statistical association between hypodontia of the permanent teeth and epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The study shows that women with EOC are 8.1 times more likely to have hypodontia than are women without EOC. The suggestion therefore is that hypodontia can serve as a "marker" for potential risk of EOC in women.

Also the increased frequency of hypodontia in twins and low birth weight in twins with hypodontia suggests that environmental factors during perinatal are responsible hypodontia.

Lelis syndrome it is a genetic disorder, a rare condition with dermatological and dental findings characterized by the association of ectodermal dysplasia (hypotrichosis and hypohidrosis) with acanthosis nigricans. Other clinical features may include palmoplantar hyperkeratosis, nail dystrophy, intellectual deficit, disturbances of skin pigmentation (perioral and periorbital hyperpigmentation, vitiligo, and perinevic leukoderma) and hypodontia. Transmission is autosomal recessive.

Focal facial dermal dysplasia (FFDD) is a rare genetically heterogeneous group of disorders that are characterized by congenital bilateral scar like facial lesions, with or without associated facial anomalies. It is characterized by hairless lesions with fingerprint like puckering of the skin, especially at the temples, due to alternating bands of dermal and epidermal atrophy.

This condition is also known as Brauer syndrome (hereditary symmetrical aplastic nevi of temples, bitemporal aplasia cutis congenita, bitemporal aplasia cutis congenita: OMIM ) and Setleis syndrome (facial ectodermal dysplasia: OMIM ).

Genetic causes also involve the genes MSX1 and PAX9.

Genetic associations for selective tooth agenesis ("STHAG") include:

Focal dermal hypoplasia has been associated with PORCN gene mutations on the X chromosome. 90% of the individuals who are affected with the syndrome are female: the commonly accepted, though unconfirmed, explanation for this is that the non-mosaic hemizygous males are not viable.

The differential diagnosis of focal dermal hypoplasia (Goltz) syndrome includes autosomal recessive Setleis syndrome due to TWIST2 gene mutations. It associated with morning glory anomaly, polymicrogyria, incontinentia pigmenti, oculocerebrocutaneous syndrome, Rothmund-Thomson syndrome and microphthalmia with linear skin defects (also known as MLS) syndrome because they are all caused by deletions or point mutations in the HCCS gene.

Pure hair-nail type ectodermal dysplasia is a genetic mutation in the "hair matrix and cuticle keratin KRTHB5 gene" that causes ectodermal dysplasia of hair and nail type. Manifestations of this disorder include onychodystrophy and severe hypotrichosis. It represents as an autosomal dominant trait.

Prosthetic replacement of missing teeth is possible using dental implant technology or dentures. This treatment can be successful in giving patients with anodontia a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. The use of an implant prosthesis in the lower jaw could be recommended for younger patients as it is shown to significantly improve the craniofacial growth, social development and self-image. The study associated with this evidence worked with individuals who had ectodermal dysplasia of varying age groups of up to 11, 11 to 18 and more than 18 years. It was noted that the risk of implant failure was significantly higher in patients younger than 18 years, but there is significant reason to use this methodology of treatment in those older. Overall the use of an implant-prosthesis has a considerable functional, aesthetic and psychological advantage when compared to a conventional denture, in the patients.

Type II appears to be due to mutations in the transcription factor TWIST2 on chromosome 2.

Type IV is due to mutations in the Cyp26c1 gene.

MDM is most common on the Dalmatian island of Mljet (or "Meleda"), thought to be because of a founder effect. It is of autosomal recessive inheritance. It may be caused by a mutation on the "SLURP1" gene, located on chromosome 8.

Treatment of manifestations: special hair care products to help manage dry and sparse hair; wigs; artificial nails; emollients to relieve palmoplantar hyperkeratosis.

Meleda disease (MDM) or "mal de Meleda", also called Mljet disease, keratosis palmoplantaris and transgradiens of Siemens, (also known as "Acral keratoderma," "Mutilating palmoplantar keratoderma of the Gamborg-Nielsen type," "Palmoplantar ectodermal dysplasia type VIII", and "Palmoplantar keratoderma of the Norrbotten type") is an extremely rare autosomal recessive congenital skin disorder in which dry, thick patches of skin develop on the soles of the hands and feet, a condition known as palmoplantar hyperkeratosis.

Focal dermal hypoplasia (also known as "Goltz syndrome") is a form of ectodermal dysplasia. It is a multisystem disorder characterized primarily by skin manifestations to the atrophic and hypoplastic areas of skin which are present at birth. These defects manifest as yellow-pink bumps on the skin and pigmentation changes. The disorder is also associated with shortness of stature and some evidence suggests that it can cause epilepsy.

Phakomatoses are inconsistently defined, and there is a lack of consensus about what conditions are included in this category.

Conditions included are:

- Ataxia telangiectasia

- Incontinentia pigmenti

- Neurofibromatosis

- Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome

- Sturge-Weber syndrome

- Tuberous sclerosis

- Wyburn-Mason syndrome (Bonnet–Dechaume–Blanc syndrome)

- von Hippel-Lindau disease

The frequency of this disorder is unknown, but it is very rare. Only a few families with the condition have been reported.

Naegeli–Franceschetti–Jadassohn syndrome (NFJS), also known as chromatophore nevus of Naegeli and Naegeli syndrome, is a rare autosomal dominant form of ectodermal dysplasia, characterized by reticular skin pigmentation, diminished function of the sweat glands, the absence of teeth and hyperkeratosis of the palms and soles. One of the most striking features is the absence of fingerprint lines on the fingers.

Naegeli syndrome is similar to dermatopathia pigmentosa reticularis, both of which are caused by a specific defect in the keratin 14 protein.

The diagnosis of PPS has been made in several ethnic groups, including Caucasian, Japanese, and sub-Saharan African. Males and females are equally likely to suffer from the syndrome. Since the disorder is very rare, its incidence rate is difficult to estimate, but is less than 1 in 10,000.

In dentistry, anodontia, also called anodontia vera, is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the congenital absence of all primary or permanent teeth. It is associated with the group of skin and nerve syndromes called the ectodermal dysplasias. Anodontia is usually part of a syndrome and seldom occurs as an isolated entity.

Congenital absence of permanent teeth can present as hypodontia, usually missing 1 or 2 permanent teeth, or oligodontia that is the congenital absence of 6 or more teeth. Congenital absence of all wisdom teeth, or third molars, is relatively common. Anodontia is the congenital absence of teeth and can occur in some or all teeth (partial anodontia or hypodontia), involve two dentitions or only teeth of the permanent dentition (Dorland's 1998). Approximately 1% of the population suffers from oligodontia. Many denominations are attributed to this anomaly: partial anodontia, hypodontia, oligodontia, the congenital absence, anodontia, bilateral aplasia. Anodontia being the term used in controlled vocabulary Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) from MEDLINE which was developed by the United States National Library of Medicine. The congenital absence of at least one permanent tooth is the most common dental anomaly and may contribute to masticator dysfunction, speech impairment, aesthetic problems, and malocclusion (Shapiro and Farrington 1983). Absence of lateral incisors represents a major stereotype. Individuals with this condition are perceived as socially most aggressive compared with people without anodontia (Shaw 1981).

Phakomatoses refers to a group of neuro-oculo-cutaneous syndromes or neurocutaneous disorders involving structures arising from the embryonic ectoderm. These multisystem disorders involve the ectodermal structures like central nervous system, skin and eyes. The lesions have a variable severity. However, it has been subsequently noted that mesodermal and endodermal tissues too are involved.

A number of genetic and acquired diseases come in this category and may affect one or more of these tissues. However, in some conditions, such as von Hippel-Lindau disease, ectodermal presentation is minimal.

Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (also known as "anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia", and "Christ-Siemens-Touraine syndrome") is one of about 150 types of ectodermal dysplasia in humans. Before birth, these disorders result in the abnormal development of structures including the skin, hair, nails, teeth, and sweat glands.

ODD is typically an autosomal dominant condition, but can be inherited as a recessive trait. It is generally believed to be caused by a mutation in the gene GJA1, which codes for the gap junction protein connexin 43. Slightly different mutations in this gene may explain the different way the condition manifests in different families. Most people inherit this condition from one of their parents, but new cases do arise through novel mutations. The mutation has high penetrance and variable expression, which means that nearly all people with the gene show signs of the condition, but these signs can range from very mild to very obvious.