The imaging picture of the tooth during its development and eruption

Abstract

Background: The tooth as a relic of the exoskeleton appears in the oral cavity long after one’s birth. Whereas the primary dentition seldom manifests any eruption and position anomalies, the permanent dentition is often affected by such problems. Throughout the tooth’s development stage, the possibility of examining the dental follicle and the erupting tooth is ensured only by imaging methods. Content: This report focuses on the imaging signs at different stages in the development of the dental follicle and in the tooth’s eruption. The dental follicle develops within the confines of a well-delimited space in the maxillary bone – the crypt of the dental follicle. At different stages of development, the crypt changes its shape from round to oval, elliptical and then segmented, in order to finally transform into the tooth’s alveolus. Studying the changes occurring in the structure of the draining canal of the dental follicle might prove a key element in guiding these processes. By the end of the tooth’s development, the draining canal would become its eruption canal. In the case of the anterior teeth, the eruption canal would merge with the alveoli of the deciduous teeth, thus favouring the resorption of their roots. Conclusions: Knowing and correctly interpreting the imaging landscape at the initial stages of eruption could assist the orthodontist in choosing the optimal prophylactic measures that would facilitate the physiological eruption and greatly prevent the occurrence of bite anomalies.