A supernumerary maxillary tooth: its topographical anatomy and its clinical implications

Abstract

A supernumerary tooth was detected in the left maxilla during an osteology teaching session with undergraduate medical students. Supernumerary teeth have previously been detected in individuals who have approached a dental surgeon with a complaint and who have then been diagnosed by X-ray. Asymptomatic cases are frequently not diagnosed in time and it is only the malalignment or delayed eruption of the tooth which raises the suspicion that this type of dental anomaly is present. The present paper highlights the anatomico-radiological study of a supernumerary maxillary tooth in a bone specimen and describes its clinical implications. Precise anatomical details of the supernumerary maxillary tooth might be of significant clinical interest to dental and maxillofacial surgeons in drawing up a plan for orthodontic treatment and may thus minimise the possible complications involved.