Oral and Maxillofacial Abnormalities: A Comprehensive Review
Oral and Maxillofacial Abnormalities
Developmental Abnormalities: These are irregularities in the normal pattern of growth and development. Some dental abnormalities are mild, causing only minor disturbances in appearance, while others are serious and devastating.
Soft Tissue Anomalies
Cleft Lip: This can be lateral, central, unilateral (left or right), or bilateral, also known as harelip.
Cleft Palate: This results from a lack of fusion and can affect the soft palate and uvula, or the entire palate.
Macroglossia: This refers to an oversized tongue that may cause teeth indentation (scalloped tongue).
Microglossia: This is the emergence of a very small tongue, affecting either the entire tongue or only one half, depending on whether one or both hypoglossal nerves are affected.
Mandibular Developmental Abnormalities
Macrognathia: This refers to a larger jaw than normal, causing a prominent chin (prognathism).
Micrognathia: This is a small jaw, resulting in chin retraction (retrognathism) or even the absence of a chin.
Dental Developmental Abnormalities
Anodontia: This occurs when the tooth germ is absent, preventing the development of the corresponding tooth.
Supernumerary Teeth: Also called accessory teeth, these appear more frequently in the maxilla. They can erupt, remain embedded in the gum, or become impacted in the bone.
Dilaceration: This is when the root forms a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the crown.
Amelogenesis Imperfecta: This is an inherited disease where abnormalities appear in the enamel, such as hypocalcification or hypoplasia, while the dentin and pulp are normal.
Dentinogenesis Imperfecta: This results in discolored teeth with a blue, gray, or violet opalescence.
Attrition: This is the normal wear of occlusal surfaces of teeth due to continued mastication.
Abrasion: This is the pathological wear of tooth surfaces caused by factors such as toothpicks, pins, dental floss, and improper brushing.
Dental Erosion: This concerns the dissolution of the tooth by chemical action or abnormal intraoral frictional forces.
Infections of the Oral Mucosa
Viruses and fungi frequently colonize the oral cavity.
Viral Infections of the Mouth
Primary Herpetic Stomatitis: This appears as edema of the labial mucosa with blistering upon the first contact with HSV1.
Recurrent Labial Herpes: This is caused by reactivation of HSV1 due to stimuli such as common colds or febrile illnesses.
Viral infections affecting the skin and oral mucosa include:
- Herpes Zoster: Produced by the varicella-zoster virus.
- Varicella (Chickenpox) and Measles: Viral exanthematous diseases of childhood.
- Mumps: A glandular viral infection affecting the parotid gland, with edema of the parotid duct, elevated fever, and painful swelling below the retroauricular region.
Fungal Infections of the Mouth
Candidiasis: The best-known and most frequently occurring fungal infection.
Jaw Cysts
These are fibrous sacs lined with epithelium containing liquid or semisolid material.
Epithelial Cysts
Odontogenic:
- Inflammatory and Developmental:
- Radicular (Root) Cyst
- Periapical Cyst
- Follicular Cyst
- Eruption Cyst
- Periodontal Cyst
Nonodontogenic Epithelial Cysts
- Idiopathic Bone Cavity
- Simple Bone Cyst
- Aneurysmal Bone Cyst