The present study reports on the prevalence of hypodontia in a Norwegian population and classifies children with hypodontia according to need of orthodontic treatment. Orthopantomograms of 1953 children (960 girls and 993 boys) at the age of 9 were available for examination. Of the boys registered with hypodontia of second premolars at the age of 9, 11.3% showed late mineralization between the ages of 9 and 12. Only 2.9% of the girls showed late mineralization. The corrected prevalence of hypodontia, excluding third molars, in the girls was 7.2%, in the boys 5.8%, and in both sexes combined 6.5%, the difference between sexes not being statistically significant. Of the children with hypodontia, 86.6% lacked only one or two permanent teeth. The most frequently missing teeth were the mandibular second premolars, the maxillary second premolars, and the maxillary lateral incisors, in that order. Classification of children with hypodontia according to need of orthodontic treatment showed that about two-thirds had hypodontia only of single posterior teeth with a moderate need of treatment. About one-third had hypodontia involving anterior teeth, and only 3.1% had hypodontia of two or more teeth in the same quadrant with a great need of treatment.