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J Am Dent Assoc, Vol 139, No 7, 906-914.
© 2008 American Dental Association |
CLINICAL PRACTICE |
| ABSTRACT |
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Case Description. Since DI can be associated with OI, the authors reviewed correlated studies and obtained a new medical history from the patient. They then conducted a radiographic and clinical examination of the dentition and submitted an affected third molar to scanning electron microscopy analysis. They compared their findings with descriptions of OI type I dental alterations in the literature and confirmed their diagnosis by means of a medical evaluation.
Clinical Implications. In cases in which DI is diagnosed, patients should be examined carefully and the occurrence of OI should be considered since, in its mild form, it might be misdiagnosed.
Key Words: Brittle bone disease; dentinogenesis imperfecta; diagnosis; osteogenesis imperfecta; scanning electron microscopy
Abbreviations: DEJ: Dentinoenamel junction DI: Dentinogenesis imperfecta EDTA: Ethylenedi-aminetetraacetic acid OI: Osteogenesis imperfecta SEM: Scanning electron microscopy
Dentinogenesis imperfecta (DI) is a hereditary disorder resulting in defective dentin formation in both primary and permanent teeth. It can be classified into three different forms: type I, in which the structural defects of the dentin are associated with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI); type II, which is the most common, is described as hereditary opalescent dentin and usually has with no association with any other syndrome; and type III, the first identified cases of which were in a population in Brandywine, Md.1 Although DI type I is a dental manifestation of the underlying type I collagen defect, DI types II and III are attributed to mutations affecting the dentin sialophosphoprotein gene.2,3
Teeth affected by DI have a characteristic discoloration that has been reported to be opalescent and gray, brown or yellow. The crowns have a bulbous appearance, with accentuated constriction in the cementoenamel junction. Roots are narrower than normal or corncob-shaped, and the pulp chamber and root canals can become partially or totally obliterated over time.1,4,5 The enamel of these teeth has normal characteristics; however, the enamel may shear readily from the dentin when subjected to occlusal stress due to the deficient dentinal support or abnormal scalloping of the dentinoenamel junction (DEJ).6–8 With the early loss of enamel, the exposed dentin can undergo rapid attrition and result in a loss of vertical dimension.5,9
OI, or brittle bone disease, is a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue and is characterized by bone fragility and fractures owing to mutations in the genes that encode the chains of type I collagen, which is the major protein of bone, teeth, sclera and ligaments. It is classified on the basis of the incidence of fractures or on multiple clinical, genetic and radiographic features. Blue sclera, ligament fragility, long bone deformity, decrease in hearing capacity, growth deficiency and DI also can be related to OI.10,11 In the mild form of OI, patients generally have a normal stature, low incidence of fractures and little deformity of long bones, which are characteristics that can hamper diagnosis if the patient does not have a family history of the disorder.12–14
Sillence and colleagues10 described a classification based on radiographic, genetic and clinical criteria to classify types I through IV. They proposed that OI type I includes patients who have the mild form, almost normal stature and blue sclera. Type II is considered the most severe form and is lethal in the perinatal period. Type III includes patients with the classic disease manifestation, usually with moderate deformity at birth and progressively deforming bones. Type IV includes patients with extensive phenotypic variability, including mild to severe forms of OI. All of the types described can be subdivided according to the absence or presence of DI.15 Moreover, OI type IV has been subdivided into types IV, V, VI and VII according to distinct clinical and bone histology features.16–20
When DI is associated with OI, there may be several degrees of dental involvement, regardless of the type and severity of OI. DI has been reported in approximately 50 percent of OI cases,21 and it is more evident in the primary teeth than in the permanent teeth of patients with OI.11,22 DI is less severe in permanent dentition and, in some cases, an unnoticed anomaly.6,11 Therefore, if DI is confirmed, the patient should be examined carefully, and the occurrence of OI should be considered.
In this article, we describe a clinical case of DI that initially was diagnosed as hereditary opalescent dentin (DI type II). However, after we conducted a critical review of the literature and clinically, radiographically and microscopically analyzed the permanent dentition, we changed the diagnosis to DI associated with OI.
Clinical and radiographic analysis of permanent dentition.
After primary teeth exfoliation and eruption of the permanent dentition, the patients esthetic situation was improved considerably. We applied a sealant to the occlusal fissures of the posterior teeth. When we performed a clinical examination when the patient was 15 years old, we found that the permanent teeth had an opalescent gray discoloration (Figure 1ADentinogenesis imperfecta is more evident in the primary teeth than in the permanent teeth of patients with osteogenesis imperfecta.
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CASE REPORT
TOP
ABSTRACT
CASE REPORT
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCES
Analysis of primary dentition.
An 11-month-old white girl was referred to a dentist (C.S.T.) for evaluation because her mother was concerned with the yellow-brown discoloration of her mandibular incisors. The patient appeared to be healthy and had normal neuromotor development. While taking the patients medical history, the dentist verified that the patients parents had normal dentition and no other relative had the same problem. Despite this information, the dentist diagnosed hereditary opalescent dentin (DI type II) and referred the patient to an odontopediatric clinic so that a specialist could follow her progress during her growth. The primary dentition displayed yellow-brown discoloration on all tooth surfaces, and enamel fractures, dentin exposure and attrition started when the patient was three years of age. The dentist placed resin-based composite restorations to protect the fractured areas and maintain the vertical dimension. However, when the patient was almost six years of age, she lost about one-third of the crown length owing to excessive attrition after enamel fracturing and carious lesions. The dentist observed pulp tissue exposure in the posterior teeth, even after the patient underwent several restorative procedures to prevent the progression of caries.
) and seemingly were affected less than the primary dentition was. At that time, all teeth responded positively to the pulp sensitivity test.
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Radiographic examination (Figure 2
) revealed crowns with a bulbous aspect and constriction in the cervical areas of the teeth. The roots, despite their normal length, were corncob-shaped, and the pulp chamber had been obliterated (Figure 2
). We observed a supernumerary tooth in the left mandibular premolar area of the jaw (Figure 2E
). Regarding the occlusion, we observed a bilateral posterior crossbite (Figure 1A
) and impacted maxillary third molars (Figures 2A and 2B
).
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Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. One of the extracted maxillary third molars was prepared and analyzed by means of SEM. We used a sound third molar extracted for orthodontic purposes from a patient who was not affected by DI and who had the same development degree.
We sectioned the teeth in the vestibular-lingual direction. We cleaned one of the sections with 17 percent ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) solution for one minute to remove the smear layer formed during the sectioning procedure. We took care not to apply acid inside the pulp chamber. After washing the specimens with deionized water for one minute, we immersed them in 5 percent sodium hypochlorite solution for two minutes. After we completed the fixation and dehydration processes, we sputter-coated the samples with gold and analyzed them by means of SEM.
Results of SEM analysis.
Results of our SEM analysis are shown in Figures 3
, 4
and 5
(pages 910, 911 and 912, respectively). SEM analysis of the DI-affected tooth showed circular spaces in the circumpulpal dentin (Figure 3A
). At an increased magnification, we could see the globular aspect of the dentin surrounding the circular spaces (Figure 3B
). The diameters of these spaces were between 70 and 100 micrometers (Figure 3C
). At an increased magnification, we could see that the dentinal tubule openings had a reduced diameter (Figure 3D
).
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When we compared the circumpulpal dentin of the control (Figures 5A and 5B
) and DI-affected (Figures 5C and 5D
) molars, we found structural differences in the diameter and number of dentinal tubules. The control dentin had typical calcospherite aspects (Figure 5A
) with a great number of visible and open tubules (Figure 5B
). However, we observed wide circular spaces in the affected dentin surrounded by an abnormally constituted dentin matrix (Figure 5C
). At higher magnification, we saw that the dentinal tubules were low in number and caliber (Figure 5D
) when compared with those in the control molar (Figure 5B
).
OI diagnosis. Despite the fact that the patient frequently visited orthopedic clinics and a general practitioner, the diagnosis of OI had not yet been established. Our careful analysis of the clinical, radiographic and SEM evidence of permanent dentition led to the diagnosis of DI associated with OI type I. We referred the patient to the endocrine and orthopedic departments of the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Florianópolis, SC, Brazil) for a general evaluation, and a diagnosis of type I OI was confirmed.
At 18 years of age, the patient had a relatively stable clinical pattern (Figure 6
, page 913). We continued to observe the pulp obliteration process radiographically (Figures 6B and 6C
), and the mandibular incisors were more yellow-brown than they were when the patient was 15 years of age (Figure 6A
). New bone fracturing due to mild trauma was reported, emphasizing the bone fragility and diagnosis of OI type I. This patient is under observation and receives instructions from her dentist and orthopedic physician about the necessity of daily care.
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| DISCUSSION |
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Although the clinical and radiographic evidence pointed to a diagnosis of DI type II, other findings suggested the hypothesis of an association with OI. For example, some primary molars did not have intrapulpal calcification but had pulp exposure after carious lesions due to coronary fractures and abrasive processes. In cases of DI combined with OI, carious lesions seem to inhibit the obliteration process of the pulp chamber, resulting in enlargement of the canal lumen, which could cause pulp tissue exposure.25
Another dental finding was that the permanent dentition seemed less affected than the primary dentition, with a low degree of esthetic involvement. Moreover, the patient had deficient occlusion with bilateral crossbite (Figure 1A
). These clinical observations are similar to those described by OConnell and Marini.11 They found that, in patients with DI, tooth discoloration and attrition did not occur in permanent dentition to the same extent as in primary dentition. The yellow-brown discoloration seemed to be related to the highest gravity of DI, whereas the opalescent gray discoloration had a better prognosis. Occlusion disorders were verified in most of the patients who had a high incidence of anterior and posterior open bite and crossbite.
The low incidence of caries in the permanent dentition observed in the case we reported was important for dental structure maintenance. According to previous reports, teeth affected by DI were not more susceptible to carious lesions than were normal teeth.11,26 When the teeth affected by DI also are affected by caries, the caries progression is slow owing to the smaller amount and irregular nature of the dentinal tubules or fast abrasion of the exposed dentin. This fast attrition can be explained by hypomineralization and, consequently, reduced dentin microhardness.27
In the case we reported, the continuous dentin deposition, mainly in the first permanent molars, almost obliterated the pulp chamber; however, all of the teeth responded positively to cold stimuli. The lower density and higher water content of the dentin affected by DI may explain the response to stimuli in cases of pulp obliteration.5
Structural analysis by means of SEM of the molar affected by DI showed dentinal alterations compared with the control molar (Figures 3
–5![]()
). The use of teeth with incomplete root formation allowed us to make a detailed evaluation of the predentin. A comparison of the calcospherites in the affected and control dentin showed dentinal tubules with reduced caliber in the case of DI. The enamel structure appeared not to be affected, and we observed no differences in the DEJs of the control and affected molars (Figures 4A and 4B
), as also was described in other studies.8,28
The circular spaces we observed in the circumpulpal dentin of the molar affected by DI (Figure 3
) may be caused by the fast and incorrect deposition of the dentinal tissue in this area and may be related to the inclusion of blood vessels. Lindau and colleagues8 also observed a lower number of dentinal tubules with smaller diameters in teeth with DI. Moreover, they reported circular holes filled with organic material, similar to blood vessel–like inclusions.
During the patients follow-up, the pulp chamber and root canals underwent progressive obliteration. The permanent teeth became more opaque, with a yellow-brown discoloration mainly on the mandibular incisors, which may require esthetic procedures in the future. Nonetheless, a patient with DI should receive professional care and instructions to avoid enamel loss, since it protects dentin from attrition and, thus, obviates a reduction in the vertical dimension, as well as decreases the risk of developing periapical diseases.
In recent years, the development of new restorative techniques and adhesive systems has improved the treatment of teeth with structural anomalies.4,14,29,30 For the patient in our case report, we were able to maintain esthetics and occlusion with resin-based composite restorations because of her age at the beginning of the treatment, because we frequently examined the patient, and because the permanent teeth had more favorable esthetic conditions than did the primary teeth. Frequent dental appointments in which dentists provide specific instructions regarding patients diets such as avoiding hard foods, as well as frequent prophylaxis and applications of topical fluoride, help prevent carious lesions in adulthood.
The patient in the case we reported had fractured at least 11 bones by the time she was 15 years old. Currently, her clinical signs of OI are barely evident and do not adversely affect her general health. Identifying the disorder and its correct treatment aided in several ways, helping the patient avoid bone fractures and preventing osteoporosis.
Although fragility fractures occur frequently in children with OI, the fracture rate decreases after adolescence owing to the influences of sex hormones and maturation.31 Conversely, the hormone level reduction that occurs during menopause can aggravate the clinical manifestations of OI.12 Several therapies have been proposed to reinforce bone structure and reduce OI symptoms. These treatments reduce bone resorption through bisphosphonate therapy, stimulate bone formation with growth hormones or both.32–35 Medical therapies that used bisphosphonates reduced fracture risk and bone pain, mainly in children with severe types of OI.13 A nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate such as alendronate generally is accepted as a safe, effective and well-tolerated treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis and has been used in adult patients with OI.31,36
Early diagnosis of OI is important because the genetic disturbance can have a dominant auto-somal character, which can affect patients descendants with great variability in the severity of how it manifests clinically.11,23 Diagnosing OI can be difficult if no family members are affected, especially when it has discreet manifestations and when bone fragility is not associated with extraskeletal abnormalities.19 There have been case reports of OI that was first diagnosed as osteoporosis.12,14,31 Although DI dental alterations occur in only 50 percent of OI cases, they often are the most visible clinical manifestation of OI,11 and, even in cases in which permanent teeth were barely affected by DI, the pulp was radiographically or microscopically altered.7,28,37 Furthermore, the obliteration of the pulp chamber and root canals should alert dental professionals to the possibility of OI. Frequent observation allows for endodontic intervention when necessary while the patient is young and the canals still are accessible. When endodontic procedures have not been performed at the right time, the dental prognosis has been affected.5
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| FOOTNOTES |
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