Radiographic examination of mesiodens and their associated complications.
OBJECTIVE
To examine mesiodens with regard to their status, their influence on adjacent teeth and their alteration during the follow-up period.


METHODS
From retrospective reviews of all patients who visited our institution from 1990-2001, we identified 200 patients (256 mesiodentes) who were shown to have mesiodentes on the basis of a periapical radiograph, a panoramic radiograph or an axial radiograph.


RESULTS
The number of supernumerary teeth was one in 146 cases (73%), two in 52 cases (26%) and three in 2 cases (1%). Of 256 mesiodentes, the direction of the crown of the mesiodens was inverted in 172 (67%), in a normal direction in 69 (27%) and in a horizontal direction with regard to the tooth axis in 15 (6%). Of the 147 mesiodentes for which axial radiography was performed, 131 (89%) were located at a palatal site against the dental arch, 16 (11%) overlapped the dental arch and none were at a labial site. Of our 200 cases, a delay of eruption of the permanent central incisor was seen in 12 (6%), malposition or rotation of the central incisor in 5 (2.5%) and dentigerous cyst formation arising from mesiodens in 22 (11%). Marked movement of the mesiodens was seen in 10 cases during the follow-up period of 5-7 years. Some complication arising from mesiodens was seen in 19.5% of all cases in our research.


CONCLUSIONS
Although mesiodentes are not caused by malocclusion, they may cause it. A long period of impaction of mesiodentes may bring about dentigerous cyst formation or movement of the mesiodentes.
Asaumi
J I
JI
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Field of Tumor Biology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama University, Japan. asaumi@md.okayama-u.ac.jp
Shibata
Y
Y
Yanagi
Y
Y
Hisatomi
M
M
Matsuzaki
H
H
Konouchi
H
H
Kishi
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003803:Dentigerous Cyst / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor / Q000002:abnormalities*; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla; D011859:Radiography; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014096:Tooth, Supernumerary / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014097:Tooth, Unerupted / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology