Tip of the iceberg – an unexpected finding

The objective of this letter was to highlight the importance of performing a comprehensive radiographic examination for all dental patients, especially when partially erupted teeth are present. As in our case, the intraoral finding was only the ‘tip of the iceberg’.A rare dilated odontoma variant of this kind is of interest to a general dentist because of its clinical implications. If left untreated, it can impede the eruption of permanent teeth and may lead to cyst formation. Furthermore, removal of such a tooth, especially so large, is a morbid procedure, and would likely be performed under general anaesthesia by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. With our case, there is a high risk of creating an oroanatral communication (OAC)/oroantral fistula (OAF), as it is in close proximity to the maxillary sinus.

Dental Update

Dental Update

46

0305-5000

N/A

6

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