Evaluating the implant candidate 213

Fig. 6-21. The compound odontoma is a dense lesion composed of numerous crude teeth. (From Worth, H. M.: Principles and practice of oral radiographic interpretation. Copyright 1963 by Year Book Medical Publishers, Inc. Used by permission.)

for one. However, it is solid, not fluid-filled, and consists of connective tissue interspersed with epithelial cells arising from the tooth follicle. Occasionally the tissues calcify, forming a calcifying odontogenic fibroma.

The patient with an odontogenic fibroma may be either male or female and usually is in his or her twenties. The part of the jaw most affected is the mandible, usually in the third molar and cuspid areas. The tumor is almost always associated with an impacted tooth. Treatment consists of curetting the lesion and removing the impacted tooth. Implantation, if contemplated, must usually be delayed until the site has healed.

Odontoma. Benign odontogenic tumors composed of hard dental tissues are called odontomas. These are fairly common odontogenic tumors and occur in both jaws in both men and women at any

Fig. 6-22. The complex odontoma is a disorganized conglomeration of dentin, enamel, cementurn, and pulp. (From Bhaskar, S. N.: Synopsis of oral pathology, ed. 3, St. Louis, 1969, The C. V. Mosby Co.)