An Erupted Dilated Odontoma: A Rare Presentation

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Developmental Biology
• Oral Pathology

Background:

• Dilated odontoma is a rare developmental anomaly, a severe variant of dens invaginatus, characterized by crown and root dilatation due to enamel-lined invagination.
• The tooth's oval shape suggests invagination occurred during early morphodifferentiation stages.
• Erupted dilated odontomas, particularly in supernumerary teeth, are exceedingly rare, with limited documented cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report an exceptionally rare case of an erupted dilated odontoma.
• To highlight the occurrence of this anomaly in a supernumerary tooth.
• To contribute to the limited English literature on this specific dental anomaly.

Main Methods:

• Case report presentation.
• Clinical examination and radiographic analysis (details not specified in abstract).
• Literature review for similar documented cases.

Main Results:

• An 18-year-old male presented with an erupted dilated odontoma in a supernumerary tooth in the anterior maxillary region.
• This represents, to the best of our knowledge, the first reported case of its kind in the English literature.
• The tooth lacked typical crown and root morphology, consistent with early developmental invagination.

Conclusions:

• Dilated odontomas in supernumerary teeth are exceedingly rare developmental anomalies.
• This case underscores the diverse presentations of dens invaginatus.
• Further documentation of such rare cases is crucial for understanding their etiology and management.