Double teeth with facial and lingual talon cusps

Abstract

Double teeth and talon cusps are rare developmental dentalanomalies affecting both the primary and permanent dentitions.Talon cusps normally occur on the palatal surface of permanentmaxillary incisors with a prevalence of 1% to 8%. Neverthelessthere have been some reports of them occurring on the labialsurface of incisors. Double teeth are more common in the anteriorregion of the primary dentition than in the permanent dentitionwith a prevalence of 0.6%. Based upon the morphology of doubleteeth and the number of teeth in the affected dentitions, they areclassified as being the product of fusion, germination or concrescence. The concurrence of facial and lingual talon cusps ona double tooth is an extremely rare finding and so for only one caseis reported in the English literature. This presentation reports a14 -year-old Chinese boy with a double tooth in the mandibularincisor region with a talon cusp on the labial and lingual surfaces.Radiographic examination of the double tooth revealed twoseparate root canals terminating in two apical foramina thatoriginated from a common pulp chamber. Individual pulp hornswere identified in the facial and lingual talon cusps. An under-standing of these dental anomalies and their associated problemsand implications are important when planning the management ofaffected children so as to prevent or minimize potential complica-tions.