Mesiodens: the influence on the child’s self-esteem. Clinical case report

Abstract

A supernumerary tooth any dental element that presents itself in greater number than considered normal for the maxilla or mandible. When located between the maxillary central incisors, it is called mesiodens and may cause important behavioral and psychological changes in the patient. This report presents case of a 9 year-old male patient who had a supernumerary tooth and complained that he had “shark’s teeth” which affected his self-esteem. Adequacy of the buccal environment and extraction of the supernumerary tooth were performed. The patient returned 3 months later for follow-up. Changes in behavior and social interaction after the removal of the mesiodens were observed. This report aimed to emphasize the behavioral and psychological changes that may occur in children with previous dental anomalies in the maxillary incisor region and how early treatment will bring aesthetic, psychological and social benefits to them.

Keywords

• Supernumerary tooth
• diagnosis
• self-esteem