Ankylosis of teeth can happen in both primary teeth and permanent teeth, and may occur at any stage during development or eruption. A typical patient will present flared upper incisors, crowded, lingually displaced lower incisors, increased overbite, and severely tipped second and third molars.
Ankylosis of teeth is the fusion of the tooth to the bone, preventing the tooth from erupting. The cause of this is not known, but it is seen fairly often, particularly in lower primary molars. Theories include trauma and heredity. There are three potential problems that can occur. Because the ankylosed tooth is fused to the bone, it will no longer erupt normally and will appear submerged. This can lead to malpositioning of the teeth on eithe side of it and super-eruption of the opposing tooth in the opposite dental arch.
