An odontoma, also known as an odontome, is a benign tumour[4] linked to tooth development.[5] Specifically, it is a dental hamartoma, meaning that it is composed of normal dental tissue that has grown in an irregular way. It includes both odontogenic hard and soft tissues.[1] As with normal tooth development, odontomas stop growing once mature which makes them benign.[6]
The average age of people found with an odontoma is 14.[7] The condition is frequently associated with one or more unerupted teeth and is often detected through failure of teeth to erupt at the expected time. Though most cases are found impacted within the jaw there are instances where odontomas have erupted into the oral cavity.[8]
^Cawson, R. A. (2017). Cawson's Essentials of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine. Odell, E. W. (9th ed.). London: Elsevier Health Sciences UK. ISBN978-0-7020-7391-5. OCLC1119449255.