Aesthetic Rehabilitation of Discoloured Anterior Teeth with Facial Talon’s Cusp: A Case Report

Abstract

Talon’s cusp is described as a process of horn-like shape curving from the base downwards to the cutting edge. Ripa and Mellor later described this phenomenon as talon cusp resemblance to talon of eagle. Talon cusp is a well-defined extra addition cusp like structure which extends from half of the cementoenamel junction to the incisal edge on the surface of an anterior tooth. The aetiology is unknown for the formation of the talon cusp. A talon cusp is often diagnosed during routine dental examination as an incidental finding and usually does not show any symptoms. In such cases, careful clinical and radiographic examination is mandatory for correct diagnosis and treatment planning. Due to limitation of 2 D (two dimensional) radiographs, these images are unable to recognise the complicated anatomy of the tooth.Use of Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) has become common in dentistry. CBCT has been useful in producing a three dimensional (3 D) image without distortion of the teeth, maxillofacial skeleton and related tissues. Scan of CBCT help to plan treatment and also provide valuable information about dental anatomy. This paper describes a case of 23-year-old female patient with a facial talon cusp on the permanent maxillary left central incisor, which was endodontically managed and followed by aesthetics rehabilitation with a follow-up for a period of one year.

Keywords

• dental anomaly
• extra cusp
• porcelain veneer