A developing complex odontome associated with delayed premolar formation

Delayed development of a bicuspid in the right premolar region of the mandible was observed radiographically in a 16-year-old male patient following surgical removal of a developing odontome. Whilst odontomes are commonly associated with a failure of eruption of permanent teeth, this case was unusual in that there was both failure and marked delay of adjacent permanent tooth germ development, suggesting that the odontome was associated with a regional disturbance of odontogenic tissues in the neonatal period.