[The incidence of enamel projections on the roots of the permanent teeth]

In this study we examined the incidence of enamel pearls, projections islets and drops on account of 7388 extracted human permanent teeth. According to the macroscopic examination there were 54 (1.6%) enamel pearls situated on the molars of the upper and lower jaw. Pairs of enamel pearls were observed on three teeth, i.e. in 0.09% of the patients. Three enamel pearls were diagnosed on one tooth. Enamel pearls were most frequently found in the cervical third of the mesio- and disto-approximal root surfaces. However, they were not so frequent in the area of the tooth neck, i.e. on the passage to the root furcation. Enamel pearls were 0.3 to 2.8 mm in diameter. Enamel projections, islets and drops were identified on account of stereomicroscopic examinations of the tooth neck and the root furcation. These paraplastic enamel formations were observed in 560 teeth, i.e. in 14.1% of the patients. Enamel pearls and islets were most often situated on the buccal surface of the tooth neck along the inter-radicular groove and enamel drops on the buccal surface of the furcation roof.