Hypercementosis: Review of literature and report of a case of mammoth, dumbbell-shaped hypercementosis

• Main Authors: Vijay Raghavan, Chandan Singh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2015-01-01
• Series: Journal of Indian Academy of Oral Medicine and Radiology
• Subjects: Cementum; hypercementosis; osteocementum; Paget′s disease; radicular
• Online Access: http://www.jiaomr.in/article.asp?issn=0972-1363;year=2015;volume=27;issue=1;spage=160;epage=163;aulast=Raghavan

Hypercementosis is a non-neoplastic condition in which excessive cementum is deposited in continuation with the normal radicular cementum. Although some cases of hypercementosis are idiopathic, this condition is associated with several local and systemic factors such as supra-eruption of a tooth, inflammation at the apex of a tooth, traumatic occlusion, Paget′s disease, etc. Hypercementosis may be isolated, involve multiple teeth, or appear as a generalized process. Posterior teeth are more commonly involved. The radiographic appearance of hypercementosis is an altered shape of the root with maintenance of normal relationship of the shadows of the periodontal membrane and lamina dura. The histologic study of teeth with hypercementosis shows that the cementum formed is usually osteocementum (acellular cementum). The differential diagnosis may include any radiopaque structure that is seen in the vicinity of the root, such as a dense bone island or mature cemento-osseous dysplasia. Patients with hypercementosis require no treatment. Because of a thickened root, occasional problems have been reported during the extraction of an affected tooth. Herein, an interesting case of a mammoth, dumbbell shaped hypercementosis associated with maxillary third molar is reported.