Long-Term Multidisciplinary Management of Regional Odontodysplasia: A Case Report

Regional odontodysplasia (RO) is a rare developmental anomaly involving both mesodermal and ectodermal dental tissues. It is characterized by hypoplasia and hypomineralization of enamel and dentin affecting a group of neighboring teeth and may involve primary, permanent dentition or both. Wide pulp chambers and thin, poorly defined hard tissue outlines, described as "ghost teeth," are typical radiographic features. A case of the long-term management of a young girl suffering from RO in the left maxilla is described in the present report. The patient was 3 years old when first presented in the clinic and was treated for the subsequent 12 years by a multidisciplinary team comprised of a pediatric dentist, orthodontist, and prosthodontist. The report encompasses a detailed description of the clinical and radiographic findings of the patient. It also describes the prosthodontic treatment applied to alleviate the aesthetic handicap brought by the extraction of the affected teeth, as well as the orthodontic interventions to establish the normal eruption and settlement of the remaining dentition. A continuing and steady follow-up of RO cases is necessary in order to keep pace with the needs arising from the loss of affected teeth and to ensure the normal growth of the oral issues.