Rationale:
Odontomas result from abnormal growth of differentiated epithelial and mesenchymal cells, which form ameloblasts and odontoblasts along with pulp tissue at times.
Patient concerns:
A patient reported with a chief complaint of hard swelling of the lower jaw causing difficulty in mouth opening and facial deformity.
Diagnosis:
A provisional diagnosis of complex odontome based on clinicoradiological findings was made, which was later confirmed as complex composite odontome histologically.
Treatment:
Bilateral hard tissue mass was surgically removed from the mandible with utmost precaution to prevent jaw deformity. On fine separation, the specimen yielded nearly 82 small teeth-like structures.
Outcomes:
Histopathologically, multiple small teeth-like structures with haphazardly arranged central fibrofatty pulpal stroma surrounded by well-formed dentinal tubules and empty areas representing decalcified enamel matrix surrounded by fibrovascular stroma at the periphery were seen.
Take-away lessons:
Early diagnosis and treatment ensures minimal surrounding deformities, better prognosis, and less chances of recurrence.