[Frequency of odontogenic tumors in the growth period]

424 odontogenic tumors were diagnosed at the Department of Oral Pathology in Hamburg Eppendorf and the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery in Kiel between 1965 and 1989. 106 of these odontogenic tumors were found in patients of 16 years and under. More often than not the odontogenic tumors of this age group were complex and compound odontomas, totalling 67%. When comparing these with other odontogenic tumors it must be taken into consideration that--although included in the WHO classification--odontomas are often referred to as hamartomas and not real tumors, because they lack the typical features of tumors. Compared with the adult age group, the relative frequency of ameloblastic fibromas, ameloblastic fibro-odontomas and odontogenic myxomas was remarkable. Nevertheless, because of the great differences between the two age groups, direct comparisons of these findings with each other should be made with reservation.