What Is Concrescence?

by Mandy Dennis
RDH

Concrescence occurs when a tooth's cementum, the material covering the root of the tooth, is joined with another tooth's cementum. The teeth are connected at the roots. It isn't something that dental professionals see often, and it can go undetected if the teeth appear normal. It is only possible for your dental professional to make a proper diagnosis with an examination that includes X-rays.

How Common Is It?

Just like many other dental anomalies, concrescence occurs in the embryonic stage of fetal development. It is a rare condition, and a review in Oral Health and Dental Management reports that 0.8 percent of extracted adult teeth and up to 3.7 percent of extracted baby teeth exhibit the anomaly. If you are diagnosed with this condition, it's important to know you haven't done anything wrong and couldn't have avoided it.

Diagnosis

X-rays are an important part of your dental appointments and oral health routine. Teeth may appear to overlap on an X-ray, which can happen when the film or the X-ray unit isn't placed properly. If your dental professional sees that teeth are superimposed on each other, they should retake the X-ray to determine whether or not a dental anomaly is present. If the X-rays continue to look the same from different angles, the professional should explore what the condition might be.

Concrescence is a dental anomaly that can be difficult to diagnose, as the teeth may appear normal. It is most commonly found in the back teeth. In the Oral Health and Dental Management case study, the dentist didn't identify a case of concrescence until they extracted a patient's molar and the neighboring tooth came out with it, since the two were joined. 3D images or a cone beam X-ray can help the dentist determine if the tooth's cementum is the only section joined to another tooth or if other areas are also fused, which would lead to a different diagnosis.

Treatment

The condition may cause complications with a tooth extraction or root canal, as both procedures involve a dental professional accessing the root of the tooth. For example, should a patient with this anomaly need to have a tooth extracted, they would need to discuss the possibility of two teeth being removed and make arrangements to replace both teeth with their dentist. If the tooth with the fused cementum needs a root canal, the patient may need to see a specialist for treatment.

It's also important for dental hygienists to know if concrescence is present because the condition could make it difficult to clean around the teeth and result in the loss of gum tissue, according to the Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology.

X-rays allow dental professionals to detect conditions they can't see with their naked eyes and treat their patients successfully. If you want to check for any dental anomalies in your mouth, consult your dentist.

This article is intended to promote understanding of and knowledge about general oral health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your dentist or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

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What Are The Different Parts Of A Tooth?

Each tooth has several distinct parts; here is an overview of each part:

  • Enamel – this is the outer and hardest part of the tooth that has the most mineralized tissue in the body. It can be damaged by decay if teeth are not cared for properly.

  • Dentin – this is the layer of the tooth under the enamel. If decay makes it through the enamel, it next attacks the dentin — where millions of tiny tubes lead directly to the dental pulp.

  • Pulp – this is the soft tissue found in the center of all teeth, where the nerve tissue and blood vessels are located. If tooth decay reaches the pulp, you usually feel pain and may require a root canal procedure.