Abstract
Dentists and oral and maxillofacial radiologists have used periapical, occlusal, panoramic,
and cephalometric radiographs for many years for diagnosing dental anomalies, especially
before orthodontic or surgical treatment. Cone beam computed tomography was developed
in recent years especially for the dental and maxillofacial region. Thus it has become
the imaging modality of choice for many clinical situations, such as the assessment
of dental impaction and structural teeth anomalies or other associated diseases and
disorders (e.g., Gardner's syndrome, cleidocranial dysplasia). This article reviews
different aspects of dental impaction and its possible effects on adjacent structures
such as external root resorption, marginal bone loss, as well as describing structural
dental anomalies. It provides a systematic analysis of their characteristic features
and imaging findings for general radiologists to achieve a precise diagnosis and an
optimal interpretation.
Keywords
teeth impaction - dental structure - periapical radiograph - panoramic radiograph
- cone beam computed tomography
