[Structure of teeth in mature ovarian teratoma]

The authors investigated three mature ovarian dermoid cysts that were found to contain atypically developed teeth (one tooth in one cyst; 2 teeth in another cyst, and a set of 8 teeth with jawbone fragments in the third one). Their structure was examined using the epoxy resin plastination technique to obtain plastinated sections.

Some of these teratomous teeth have obvious signs of alteration in both dentin and enamel, which may be referred to as fluorosis or macular enamel hypoplasia in one case whereas other sections indicate a caries lesion.

These facts are contradictory to the concept of the exogenous nature of dental caries, which is accepted in dentistry.