Odontomas--silent tormentors of teeth eruption, shedding and occlusion

Odontomas are the most common odontogenic tumours of the jaws, characterised by their slow growth and non-aggressive behaviour. They usually remain asymptomatic, and are diagnosed on routine radiographs. Clinically, they are often associated with delayed eruption or impaction of permanent teeth and retained primary teeth. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature and report two cases of odontomas. In the first case, a compound odontoma was associated with an unerupted maxillary permanent right central incisor, in an 11-year-old boy. In the second case, a 12-year-old girl had retained mandibular primary left central incisor and its unerupted successor was associated with a compound odontoma, a site considered rare for compound odontoma to occur. The clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of these cases have been discussed.