Dens evaginatus: review of the literature and report of several clinical cases.
Dens evaginatus (DE) presents as an innocuous looking tubercle of enamel on the occlusal surface of a tooth, most commonly a bicuspid. Problems can arise when the tubercle is either worn, ground, or fractured off, resulting in pulpal exposure and possible loss of vitality of the tooth. Dentists who perform orthodontic treatment should be aware of this dental anomaly, which occurs in at least two per cent of the Asian and Native Indian populations. Bicuspid extraction cases should involve the extraction of the anomalous premolars rather than the normal ones. In addition, the dentist should be mindful of occlusal changes that may occur during treatment or occlusal equilibration, both of which can jeopardize the vitality of teeth with DE. Pulp capping or partial pulpotomy has been postulated to be one of the most reliable forms of vital tooth treatment when pulp exposure is encountered following the sterile removal of the tubercle. When pulp exposure is not encountered, preventive resin composite sealing of the dentin or class I amalgam cavity preparation seems to be the treatment of choice.