Introduction
Comment
Odontodysplasia is a relatively rare dental anomaly in which the development of one or several teeth in a localised area is adversely affected. The cause of odontodysplasia is unknown in so much that there is no identifiable history of previous infection or trauma in the affected region. More recently it has been proposed that the condition is linked to either a local neural disorder or vascular defect.1 However, at the present time the aetiology remains uncertain due to the scarcity of adequately detailed case reports. Lack of information also makes it difficult to determine what features may be considered as unusual in the presentation of newly diagnosed cases. However, the patient described in the present study does demonstrate certain findings that contrast with those previously reported. Firstly, the patient was male rather than female and secondly the mandible rather than the maxilla was the site of involvement. Most importantly perhaps, was the observation that the patient did not suffer from acute abscess formation of any of the teeth involved. This important feature had an impact on the management of the case.
To date the treatment of odontodysplasia has remained somewhat controversial. Management has traditionally involved the early extraction of affected teeth in order to prevent acute abscess formation. However, in the present case such prophylactic extraction was not performed. Interestingly, the conservative approach adopted by the authors was not subsequently complicated by the onset of acute infection. In the short term the patient did not have to experience extraction or wearing of a prosthesis at a young age and in the longer there is likely to be less adverse effect on mandibular development.
An increased recognition of regional odontodysplasia by clinicians should not only clarify the pattern of clinical features that may be regarded as being within a normal range but also lead to an improvement in both the short and long term management of patients with the condition. The publication of detailed case reports, such as the present one, should be of interest not only to specialists involved in the dental care of children but also general dental practitioners.
