DENS IN DENTE

¹ Research Department, Chicago College of Dental Surgery, Dental Department of Loyola University, Chicago, Ill.

Our present general knowledge of dens in dente may be summarized as follows:

(1) The anomaly is very rare.

(2) Among the cases reported so far, in the world's dental literature, there is an almost equal distribution among upper anterior teethcentral incisor, lateral incisor, cuspid, and anterior supernumerary teeth. In addition, a special form has been described as occurring within roots of lower bicuspids.

(3) True dens in dente is characterized by presence of a tooth-like structure within the pulp chamber of another tooth. The arrangement of tissues in the inner tooth is reversed-enamel lies inside of dentin, or cementum inside of dentin.

(4) The tooth thus affected contains two cavities: the actual pulp chamber, which opens at the apex; a second, abnormal cavity within the crown, which opens near the incisal end of the tooth. The latter cavity is lined with enamel, and contains remnants of enamel organ, and sometimes connective tissue and bone of periodontal origin.

(5) Dens in dente is the result of an invagination of one portion of a tooth into the other; it is not a twin formation, but a malformation of only one tooth germ.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Mavragani, J. Apisariyakul, P. Brudvik, and K. A. Selvig Is mild dental invagination a risk factor for apical root resorption in orthodontic patients? Eur J Orthod, August 1, 2006; 28(4): 307 - 312. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Silberman, N. Cohenca, and J. H. Simon Anatomical redesign for the treatment of dens invaginatus type III with open apexes: A literature review and case presentation J Am Dent Assoc, February 1, 2006; 137(2): 180 - 185. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]