Dentinogenesis imperfecta associated with osteogenesis imperfecta: report of two cases

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a heritable systemic disorder of the connective tissue. Dentinogenesis imperfecta (DI), which is sometimes an accompanying symptom of OI, belongs to a group of genetically conditioned dentin dysplasias and is characterized clinically by an opalescent amber appearance of the dentin. Although the teeth of DI cases wear more easily and excessively compared to normal teeth, they do not appear to be more susceptible to dental caries than normal teeth. Two cases of DI associated with OI are presented in this paper, with 1 case suffering from nursing bottle caries. The purposes of this paper are to present the dental and skeletal characteristics of moderately and mildly involved DI associated with OI, and to discuss the possible methods of dental treatment. Patients with OI and opalescent teeth should be evaluated as soon as the deciduous teeth erupt; immediate dental involvement and oral hygiene instruction can be of help in reducing the necessity of extensive dental care.