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Macrodontia and double teeth: a review and case series

Abstract

Macrodontia is a dental anomaly pertaining to the increased size of a tooth or multiple teeth. Double teeth are dental abnormalities concerning tooth morphology and the term traditionally refers to geminated or fused teeth. These anomalies may manifest in both primary and permanent dentitions and usually become apparent in childhood. They may cause a variety of clinical sequelae, including orthodontic complications, such as crowding, ectopic eruption of adjacent teeth and periodontal concerns. Double teeth are also at a higher risk of developing caries. The aesthetic implications of these dental anomalies can affect the psychosocial development of a patient. This, together with the range of functional repercussions, can often need dental treatment to improve quality of life. The functional and aesthetic complexities that may arise in the affected patients can require endodontic, restorative, surgical and/or orthodontic input as part of the management strategy and execution. We present four clinical cases of paediatric patients where a range of management approaches were employed for both macrodontia and double teeth.

Key points

  • This paper provides a review of the literature regarding macrodontia and double teeth and the treatment options available.

  • We present a number of cases managed in our department employing a range of treatment approaches.

  • We advocate multidisciplinary input in the planning and management of macrodontia and double teeth in the permanent dentition.

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Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

The study was conceived and designed by Nabina Bhujel. Sajida Mamdani was involved in the literature search, analysis, addition of cases and drafting of the article. Sajida Mamdani, Divya Pathak, Mike Harrison and Nabina Bhujel contributed to the write-up and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sajida Mamdani.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Written consent was obtained from the patient's parent for use of clinical images in Case 4.

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Mamdani, S., Pathak, D., Harrison, M. et al. Macrodontia and double teeth: a review and case series. Br Dent J 234, 315–321 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-5571-9

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