Compound Odontoma: Diagnosis and treatment: Case report

Abstract

Odontomas are asymptomatic benign odontogenic tumors, generally discovered fortuitously, or when a tooth failed to erupt. They are mainly composed of enamel and dentin, cement and pulp tissue can also be present in variable amounts. In 2005, the World Health Organization classified two main types of odontoma, an amorphous and irregular mass of calcified dental tissues as complex odontoma and multiple miniature tooth-like structures as compound odontoma. This article is a case presentation of a compound odontoma diagnosed for an eleven year old girl upon a routine radiography, making it a lesion of childhood /adolescence. A retro-alveolar radiography of the anterior maxilla revealed a radiopaque mass with prominent external margins surrounded by a thin radiolucent rim in close contact with the root of the permanent right central incisor. In this case a surgical excision of the lesion was performed in order to prevent any risk of root resorption for the tooth in close contact. The results achieved indicate that the early diagnosis of odontomas allows the adoption of a less complex and inexpensive treatment and ensures better prognosis. A histological evaluation is imperative in order to confirm the exact diagnosis of odontoma.