Primary failure of eruption- a case report with cone beam computerized tomographic imaging

Tooth eruption is an intricate and complex process which can fail to occur due to several reasons. Failure of tooth eruption in the absence of any systemic condition or any obstruction in the eruptive pathway can be attributed to lack of inherent eruptive potential of the tooth, termed as Primary Failure of Eruption (PFE). This is a rare condition and usually has a genetic etiology. Here we report a rare case in which there is Primary Failure of Eruption in the mandibular right quadrant. There is also mechanical failure of eruption of maxillary right canine and supernumerary teeth palatal to the maxillary central incisors. This association of supernumerary teeth and mechanical failure of eruption along with primary failure of eruption has not been reported so far. Proper diagnosis is very important in cases of Primary Failure of Eruption. There are several diagnostic criteria to identify these cases. Since these cases do not respond to orthodontic force, early diagnosis is of essential importance.