A case report of multiple supernumerary teeth: Post-permanant dentiton or hyperactivity of dental lamina

Abstract

Supplementary teeth in simple terms could be be defined as those supernumerary teeth which are well aligned in the arch resembling the normal anatomical structures of teeth. There has been evidences of supplementary premolars and molars since from beginning of the civilization. According to Darwin’s theory of evolution which stated that during the course of humans evolution the organs which do not have greater use in regular became vestigial which included the appendix, tail bone, fourth molar. Supernumerary teeth often remain asymptomatic, and only get diagnosed incidentally during a routine dental visit on radiographs. Nevertheless, various complications have been reported in literature related to supernumerary teeth such as disturbed eruption, malpositioning or rotation, root resorption of neighbouring teeth, and development of dentigerous cysts in impacted supernumeraries. Root resorption of neighbouring teeth can be radiographically diagnosed in up to 22.8% of the cases. Here we report an unusual case of multiple supernumerary teeth in a non-syndromic patient of African native.