Radicular Dens in Dente: Review of the Literature with Report of a Rare Case in a Child

Dens invaginatus is an extremely rare developmental disturbance that can occur in primary, permanent, or supernumerary teeth due to invagination of the enamel organ into the dental papilla during tooth development. The clinical recognition of the radicular variant of dens in the dente is challenging as it is mostly asymptomatic with a normal-appearing clinical crown and is incidentally discovered in radiographs.

This report describes a case of the radicular variant of dens in dente that involved the mandibular lateral incisor in an 8-year-old child. The affected tooth was symptomatic and was extracted as a part of treatment.

Although the present case required extraction since it was associated with periapical infection, in other cases, treatment may be rendered with appropriate restorative/endodontic procedures with a keen intent to avoid sacrificing the involved tooth as has been reported earlier and reviewed herein.