Concommitant occurance of dens invaginatus and talon cusp: A case report

Abstract

Purpose: Morphological dental anomalies of the maxillary lateral incisors are relatively common. However, their simultaneous occurrence is a relatively rare event. We report a case of dens invaginatus and talon cusp concurrently affecting maxillary lateral incisors. The etiology, pathophysiology, association with other dental anomalies, as well as various treatment modalities of these anomalies are discussed. Case description: An 18-year-old male patient reported with a complaint of crowding of maxillary front teeth. On intraoral examination, permanent dentition with Class I malocclusion with anterior crowding was observed. Tooth 12 showed a radiopaque invagination from a lingual pit but confined to the crown of the tooth. This invagination was approximately circular with a central core of radiolucency, which was consistent with the diagnosis of a dens invaginatus type I. Tooth 22 showed the talon cusp as a typical inverted cone with enamel and dentine layers and a pulp horn extending only into the base of the cusp. Talon cusp was treated by prophylactic enameloplasty to avoid plaque accumulation, the deep lingual pit was sealed using composite resin and regular clinical and radiographic follow-up was advised. Patient was scheduled for orthodontic treatment to correct crowding of maxillary anterior teeth. Conclusion: We emphasize the fact that detailed clinical and radiographic examination of the maxillary lateral incisors is vital in avoiding complications. © 2011 Yadav et al.; licensee EDIPUCRS.