Erupted compound odontoma: case report of a 15-year-old Sudanese boy with a history of traditional dental mutilation

Abstract

A rare case of an erupted compound odontoma associated with a malformed and dilacerated maxillary left lateral incisor is reported. The patient, a 15-year-old immigrant Sudanese boy, had a malformed right lateral maxillary incisor and missing centrals. His guardian reported he had undergone traditional extraction of his primary teeth as a child whilst in Africa. Treatment and possible mechanisms for development of the condition are discussed. The number of refugees and migrants from Africa to developed countries has increased in the past 20 years. Australia in particular with its large population of recent migrants from areas in Africa where tooth mutilation is practised will likely see more patients with dental abnormalities in the respective populations.