Regional Odontodysplasia: an Overeview

Regional odontodysplasia is a rare developmental anomaly involving dental tissues. The precise etiology is not yet known. The affected teeth are usually small with atypical morphology with yellow or brown discoloration. One hundred and seventy six cases of regional odontodysplasia have been published to-date. Analysis of the published cases shows that the age at the time of diagnosis ranges from 1-23 years. Maxilla is more commonly affected with predilection for anterior teeth. Radiographic images of the involved teeth show a ghost-like appearance. Histologically, almost all dental tissues are altered. Enamel and dentin appear as hypoplastic and hypocalcified and the pulp is larger than normal. Treatment of regional odontodysplasia needs to be individualized and requires a multidisciplinary approach. Although regional odontodysplasia is known for more than six decades, the literature is almost limited to case reports only. Further epidemiological, experimental and genetic studies are needed.