Compound odontoma-Case report

Odontomas are odontogenic benign tumors composed of dental tissue. Most of these lesions are asymptomatic and are often detected on routine radiographs. Morphologically odontomas can be classified as complex, when present as irregular masses containing different types of dental tissues, or as compound if there is superficial anatomic similarity to even rudimentary teeth - the denticles. A 9-year-old girl attended our Dental Medicine appointment with doubt about the apparent delay in exfoliation of deciduous teeth: 53-55. A panoramic radiograph showed the presence of a lesion formed by many radiopaque small tooth-like structures constituting an obstacle to the respective permanent teeth eruption. Under general anesthesia, access to the lesion was achieved via intra-oral approach and its surgical removal was performed. The histopathologic examination confirmed the diagnosis of compound odontoma. Routine radiographic examination is important for early detection of silent lesions such as odontomas. (C) 2012 Sociedade Portuguesa de Estomatologia e Medicina Dentaria. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.