Causes and risk factors
Gemination of teeth is a developmental disorder. In this, two teeth develop from a single tooth bud. The exact cause is not known. Certain genetic factors seem to be involved in its causation.
Clinical presentation:
Gemination of teeth can affect both primary and permanent teeth. More commonly the incisors are affected. Upper jaw teeth are more commonly affected. The affected teeth are attached to each other. The tooth is incompletely divided and it has a large crown. However the tooth has single root. There occurs crowding of teeth in oral cavity. Atypical spacing occurs; this lead to misalignment of the teeth. The two tooth attached to each other can have a cleft in between which can be a potent space for caries. Gemination of teeth can delay the eruption of permanent teeth. It does not pose any real problem, but can hamper the cosmetic appearance.
Investigations:
Diagnosis is done on the basis of the symptoms narrated by the patient. A local examination is carried out by the dentist. It is usually sufficient for diagnosis. If required, a dental X- ray is done. The x-ray shows one pulp canal with two pulp chambers.
Treatment:
As the patient is asymptomatic, no medical intervention is required. If needed, the treatment aims at shaving and smoothing off the double tooth. In some cases the tooth is divided surgically. In such cases, a root canal treatment is done afterwards.
