Things To Know About Compound Odontoma

It might sound scary to hear from your dentist that you have a compound odontoma. However, this condition or growth is treatable. Dentists find these tumors during routine dental checkups. What’s interesting is that most of these growths are not even harmful. In this article, we will discuss odontomas, their types, and options your dentist may use to treat them.

What are odontomas?

First off, odontomas are noncancerous oral tumors that do not spread or cause further harm to your mouth or teeth. These growths replicate surrounding dental tissues, including dentin, enamel, cementum, and pulp. In rare cases, these growths may erupt into the oral cavity.

According to research, odontomas are the most common odontogenic tumors. While they most commonly occur between 14 and 18 years, they can develop at any age. These tumors are more common among females, and they appear most commonly in the upper jaw. The cause of odontomas is not confirmed, but they are widely associated with infections, traumas, and inflammatory processes happening in the oral cavity during childhood. People with genetic conditions, such as Hermann's syndrome and Gardner syndrome, are found more prone to these growths. In most cases, the tooth associated with this growth is impacted.

Complex vs. compound odontomas

Two types of odontomas are complex and compound odontomas. A compound odontoma is more uniform, thanks to its tooth-like structure. A complex odontoma, on the other hand, is a disorganized mass of tissues. Compound odontomas are more common compared to complex ones, and they appear as a set of teeth in dental x-rays tests. In some cases, patients had multiple odontomas in their mouths.

Diagnosis and treatment

Your dentist will check for these growths during regular dental checkups. They will examine your x-rays tests to determine whether you have these structures in your mouth. Although these are benign lesions, your dentist can opt to perform a conservative operation to remove them. After these tumors are removed surgically, they do not reoccur. Your dentist may not do anything with your odontoma if it is not stopping your tooth from erupting properly. In such a case, the dentist will ask you to monitor your odontoma.

If you want to get this treatment, your dentist and maxillofacial surgeon will guide you on options you can consider for treatment. They will want you to be confident that you are in safe hands.

Odontomas are detectable through dental x-rays. You have to keep in mind that not all tumors are cancerous. An odontoma is one of those noncancerous growths that may not do any harm to your oral cavity. If this growth is affecting the proper eruption of your tooth, your dentist will conduct a small operation to remove it for good.

During a dental checkup, your dentist will also analyze your head and neck area to check for any abnormal growths. Due to an overall increased rate of oral cancer cases, dentists get concerned when they notice any abnormal growth in the oral cavity or the entire skull.