Abstract
In addition to the normal position for tooth development and eruption, transposition, rotation and impaction of tooth are often found. The normal position for tooth eruption is in the jaw bones, labial and buccal side. We encountered with a rare case with the wisdom tooth developed and erupted aberrantly into the left cheek in the mandibular angle portion. A farmer, aged 25, visited our dental clinic on March 10, 1940, with the chief complaint of ectopic eruption of the left lower third molar into the left lower cheek. Family History : Nothing noteworthy. Patient's History : |V^^- decayed when he was 5 years old. No treatment was given because no dentist resided in his village. Therefore he suffered from Osteomyelitis and sequesterotomy (approximating hemi-mandibulectomy) was performed half a year later. Physical Examination : The patient looked moderately nourished. B.T. : 36.3℃ ; P.R. : 85 times/min. A scar was observed in the left lower cheek, measuring 3cm in length. Because of the sequesterotomy, his face looked peculiar like a bird-face. A tooth with the buccal cusps down and lingual cusps up erupted in the left lower cheek in the mandibular angle area. The 16 permanent teeth of upper jaw erupted completely. No dental caries was found, but severe calculus deposition was observed. In addition, odor oris was noted. No tooth was found in the remaining lower dental arch and it looked atrophic. Treatment Procedure : Under the local anesthesia, the tooth was extracted smoothly with an elevator. The wound was sutured with 2 stiches. The extracted tooth was like wisdom tooth from its appearance and measured 1.7cm in length. The crown was 0.6cm mesiodistally. The mesial and distal roots measured 1.0cm and 1.1cm respectively and were 1.0cm apart from each other. The pulp cavity was proved to be existing by X-ray examination. Conclusion : 1. A man aged 25 had the left lower living wisdom tooth developed and erupted ectopically into the left lower soft tissue in mandibular angle area. 2. The causative factor of this tooth aberration was considered as follows : Under the stress of pathologic change and sequesterotomy, the tooth germ moved into the soft tissue and erupted in the place of the least resistance in the mandibular angle area. 3. From this case, we may conclude that the tooth germ can develop and erupt within the soft tissue.
