%0 Journal Article
%T Supernumerary Teeth: Review of the Literature with Recent Updates
%A Sreekanth Kumar Mallineni
%J Conference Papers in Science
%D 2014
%R 10.1155/2014/764050
%X A supernumerary tooth (ST) is defined as any tooth or odontogenic structure that is formed from tooth germ in excess of usual number for any given region of the dental arch. They may be single or multiple and unilateral or bilateral in distribution and can occur in any region of the dental arch. These may occur in primary and permanent dentition. Supernumerary teeth are more frequent in males. They are classified based on form, morphology, location, and occurrence. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the occurrence of ST. However, combination of environmental and genetic factors has been proposed. Supernumerary teeth cause a range of complications like crowding, displacement, dilacerations, cyst formation, and so forth. Early identification and appropriate treatment plan should minimize the potential complications caused by ST. 1. Introduction Supernumerary tooth (ST) is defined as ˇ°any tooth or odontogenic structure that is formed from tooth germ in excess of usual number for any given region of the dental archˇ± [1]. They may be unilateral or bilateral and single or multiple, in distribution, occur in any part of the tooth bearing areas in both dental arches, and may occur in primary and permanent dentition [2]. These ST could occur at any region of the dental arch and most commonly in premaxilla. There are several hypotheses which have been proposed to explain the occurrence of ST, and their etiology remains unclear [1, 3]. A combination of environmental and genetic factors has been proposed to explain ST occurrence [4]. Supernumerary teeth cause a range of complications varying from crowding to cyst formation. However, the position of ST is buccal or lingual or within the arch. Localization of ST plays a major role in diagnosis and treatment, especially if surgical intervention is needed [5]. Though, it is clear that early treatment can possibly prevent further complications, some authors anecdotally suggested that this approach is hazardous due to possible risk of damage to the developing tooth germs. Location of ST must be established by different imaging techniques. Although, combinations of intraoral radiographs with panoramic radiographs are usually able to provide the required information, these procedures do not always provide sufficient information concerning the 3-dimensional (3D) relationship of the ST [1, 5, 6]. The purpose of the present paper is an overview on epidemiology, pathogenesis, classification, complications, diagnosis, and management of ST. 2. Epidemiology The incidence of ST for males is higher than females
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/cpis/2014/764050/