Multiple pulp stones in primary and developing permanent dentition: a report of 4 cases

Pulp stones in unerupted teeth: a retrospective analysis using cone-beam computed tomography

BACKGROUND

A pulp stone is a calcified mass that develops in the dental pulp of any tooth. Despite many studies examining the relationship between pulp stone formation and non-oral factors, the methods used in these studies have been unable to explain the exact role of these factors alone as distinct from probable effects within the oral cavity environment. Considering that totally unerupted (impacted or developing) teeth are unexposed to the oral cavity's environmental and functional conditions, they provide a more suitable material for studying the effects of these non-oral factors on pulp stone formation. This research study aimed to investigate pulp stones in unerupted teeth and the associated factors in a Saudi subpopulation.

METHODS

The study included 644 cone-beam computed tomography images, with 496 (50.9%) maxillary and 479 (49.1%) mandibular teeth. Of the investigated patients, 293 (45.5%) were men, and 351 (54.5%) were women. The age range was 15-76 years. A chi-square test was used to investigate the associations between pulp stones and age, gender, and history of systemic disease and chronic medication use.

RESULTS

Pulp stones in unerupted teeth were present in 24.2% of the examined dental jaws and 18.6% of the examined teeth. There was no statistically significant relationship between pulp stones and gender (p > 0.05). A significantly greater percentage of pulp stones were found with increasing age (p = 0.000). Additionally, a significantly increased number of pulp stones was observed in patients with systemic diseases and chronic medications (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results support the idea that pulp stones can be present in any type of unerupted tooth. This study provides additional evidence of the increased incidence of pulp stones with age, systemic disease, and chronic medications.

The Prevalence and Correlation of Carotid Artery Calcifications and Dental Pulp Stones in a Saudi Arabian Population

Background: This study sought to determine the prevalence of carotid artery calcifications (CACs) and pulp stones detected on panoramic radiographs (PRs) and ascertain their correlation. Methods: A total of 2013 digital PRs were retrospectively retrieved and thoroughly examined to determine the prevalence of CACs and pulp stones, their correlation with patient age and gender, and the relationship between the presence of pulps stones and radiographically detectable CACs. Results: The prevalence of CACs on PRs was 2.0%; the prevalence of pulp stones was 4.6%. There was no statistical relationship between pulp stones and CACs (p = 0.714). Older patients exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of CACs than younger patients (p < 0.001); pulp stones were statistically more prevalent in younger patients than older patients (p = 0.001). There were no significant differences between male and females in terms of the prevalence of either CACs or pulp stones (p = 0.087 and p = 0.278, respectively). Conclusions: Dentists should be trained to detect CACs on PRs belonging to patients older than 40 to exclude the presence of CACs. Moreover, pulp stones do not function as a diagnostic marker for CACs.

Multiple Developmental Dental Anomalies in a Non-Syndromic Patient: Report of a Rare Simultaneous Occurrence

A case of multiple pulp stones, a supernumerary tooth and a congenitally missing tooth accompanied by several developmental dental anomalies concurrently affecting the upper and lower anterior teeth in an Iranian healthy girl is reported. Developmental tooth abnormalities are usually found in conjunction with certain diseases or conditions. In the present case, although the patient had consanguineous parents and the role of genetics should be considered particularly for autosomal recessive traits, based on the child's family and medical history, no correlation could be established between dental findings and systemic or metabolic diseases.