Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

Isolation, Processing and Analysis of Murine Gingival Cells
Published on: July 2, 2013
Peripheral compound odontoma erupting in the gingiva
João A C Hanemann1, Denise T Oliveira, Natália Galvão Garcia
1Department of Clinic and Surgery, Area Stomatology, Alfenas Federal University, Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Background:
Peripheral odontoma arising in the extraosseous soft tissues is rare and if not removed early, may enlarge over time and eventually erupt in the oral cavity.
Case Presentation:
A 15-year-old girl presented with "denticles on the gingiva". During the intraoral examination, seven small tooth-like structures were found. These were exposed in the anterior left gingiva between the permanent maxillary lateral incisor and canine teeth, and the left first premolar was absent. Radiographic examination revealed irregular tooth-like structures without evidence of bone involvement.
Conclusion:
The lesion was surgically removed, and the specimens were analyzed histopathologically. The diagnosis of compound odontoma was established.
Clinical Significance:
This is the twelfth reported case of peripheral odontoma in the gingiva and the first one that erupted in the oral cavity.
Related Concept Videos
Tooth Anatomy
The Crown, Neck, and Root
The visible part of the tooth is referred to as the crown. It's covered by enamel, the hardest substance in the human body. The crown is uniquely shaped for each type of tooth, allowing for different functions such as cutting, tearing, or grinding food.
Oral Cavity
Teeth: The teeth are the hardest structures in our bodies. Humans have two sets of teeth throughout their lifetime: deciduous (baby) teeth and permanent teeth. Each tooth consists of several parts: the crown (visible part), the root (embedded in the jaw), enamel (hard outer...
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
Assessment of the Mouth
Mouth Inspection
The inspection begins with visually examining the mouth for symmetry, color, and size.
Veneer
Other veneering techniques include plain-slicing, quarter-slicing, and rift-slicing. These...
The Oral Microbiota
