A rare presentation of dens invaginatus in a mandibular lateral incisor occurring concurrently with bilateral maxillary dens invaginatus: Case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND: Dens Invaginatus (DI), commonly known as dens in dente, is a developmental malformation of tooth that most commonly affects permanent maxillary lateral incisor teeth. Deciduous teeth are infrequently affected. Presence of DI in mandibular permanent teeth is extremely rare. Further, the presence of DI bilaterally in the maxillary lateral incisors of the same patient is even more unusual. METHODS: In this article, an unusual case of DI affecting a mandibular lateral incisor tooth is described. This malformation was uncovered after a full mouth radiographic examination when the patient presented for dental treatment unrelated to this finding. In addition, the various radiographic appearances of DI as they present within the maxillary and mandibular teeth are described. Essential clinical considerations and treatment options are presented. A review of the pertinent literature is undertaken and a table summarizing previous published findings of mandibular DI is presented. RESULTS: A review of the literature indicates that DI in mandibular teeth is extremely rare with only 10 other cases involving 13 teeth reported previously. CONCLUSIONS: Although this is an extremely rare case, DI is an anomaly that should be familiar to all practising dentists due to the clinical implications of potential sequelae of pulpal involvement.