2022 Volume 60 Issue 3 Pages 116-121
Germinated teeth have an incidence rate of 0.05–0.35%, which makes the condition a rare morphological abnormality. Germinated teeth are characterized by the fusion of normal teeth with excess dental germs. When geminated teeth cause abnormal tooth eruption, malalignment, dysfunction, or other problems, comprehensive testing and diagnosis are necessary, followed by an effective treatment plan involving the fusion of normal teeth and excess teeth, and sharing of pulp.
We report a case of spontaneous eruption of an impacted geminated tooth on the right lateral incisor of the maxilla due to separation and removal of the excess tooth. An 8-year, 10-month-old patient had visited a local doctor after experiencing delayed eruption of the maxillary lateral incisor and was referred to our department for further treatment. CT imaging showed the fusion of tooth-like hard tissue in the mesial part of the crown of the maxillary lateral incisor. Since no defect in the adjacent normal tooth was observed and its crown was larger than that of the normal tooth, it was diagnosed as a geminated tooth. We also observed that the pulp cavity was not shared commonly; hence, we decided to promote spontaneous eruption by separating and removing the fused part. After the impacted geminated tooth was separated and removed under general anesthesia, spontaneous eruption of the impacted germinated tooth was observed two months later.
The fused part of the geminated tooth had low dentin calcification, and since the child was susceptible to dental caries and had poor oral prophylaxis, we continued to provide guidance and follow-up. When the child was 10 years old, tooth eruption was observed in the same area as the opposite side, and the periodontal examination showed a relatively good condition. This suggested that natural eruption can be expected by removing a part of the crown that impairs eruption.
