DENS INVAGINATUS IN TEETH: REVIEW ABOUT ETIOLOGY, RADIOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS, DIAGNOSIS, AND TREATMENT

Dens invaginatus is an odontogenesis abnormality in which the development of the enamel organ becomes defective, resulting in an altered morphodifferentiation. The diagnosis is made through routine radiography. The objective of this work is to perform a literary review, bringing together the clinical and radiographic characteristics of the dentition, in order to facilitate its diagnosis. Dens invaginatus consists of 3 groups: type I, invagination of the enamel circumscribed to the area of the dental crown, type II, enamel invagination exceeds the amelocemental junction, extending to the root, and type III, invagination of the enamel reaching the apical region of the tooth. Radiographically, the affected teeth show a root enlargement, similar to a "tooth inside another." Therefore, knowledge of the clinical and radiographic characteristics of the dentition contributes to the diagnosis and treatment of the anomaly, dens invaginatus, which predisposes the affected teeth to caries and pulp diseases.