Radiology of Dental Defects

Question 1

What type of dental trauma is most likely to cause a dilacerated root?

Answer 1

Intrusion injury

Question 2

How will teh enamel form in a turner totoh?-

Answer 2

• Hypoplastic
• Multiple small defect pits of enamel

Question 3

How does radiotherapy in childhood affect the teeth?

Answer 3

• Damages the developing odontoblasts causing blunting of the roots and failure of normal development
• Effect on all the upper teeth causing short roots

Question 4

How does having systemic infection as a child affect dental development?

Answer 4

• Rubella, measles, other childhood diseases causes chronological hypoplasia (line of defect at the time of infection)

Question 5

Name the main types of supernumary teeth

Answer 5

• Mesiodens
• Tuberculate
• Supplemental
• Natal teeth

Question 6

Explain the difference between tooth fusion and tooth germination

Answer 6

Tooth fusion = two adjacent teeth fuse prior to calcification, due to physical pressure on two adjacent buds. Tooth crown looks large and number of teeth is reduced by 1.

Germination = single tooth bud divides into two teeth. X ray view shows the teeth have the same root.

Question 7

What are the main causes of ectopic teeth?

Answer 7

• Supernumerary teeth
• Local pathology (cysts or tumour)
• Insufficient room (crowding)

Question 8

How do you assess the position of am impacted canine?

Answer 8

• Parallax technique with a periapical X ray
• Take X rays at right angles to each other
• SLOB