Introduction

• Odontogenic tumors arise from remnants of embryonic tissues destined to develop teeth, the odontogenic epithelium or odontogenic mesenchyme or a combination. The growths may mimic certain stages of tooth development histologically, containing enamel, dentin or cementum or dental pulp-like tissue.
• Cause: neoplastic transformation of tissues of dental origin.
• Signs: expanding oral mass, halitosis, malocclusion, tooth displacement, may be asymptomatic as slow growth.
• Clinical behavior: hamartoma-like proliferation to benign but invasive neoplasms. Malignant odontogenic tumors are extremely rare but have been reported in the dog.
• Diagnosis: histopathology, radiology.
• Treatment: wide surgical excision.
• Prognosis: good with adequate excision.

Pathogenesis

Pathophysiology

• Odontogenic tumors arise from remnants of embryonic tissuse destined to develop teeth: odontogenic epithelium or odontogenic mesenchyme or a combination.
• Rare - representing <3% of oral masses.
• Originally classified according to cell type and presence of "reciprocal inductive properties":
  • During normal tooth development a reciprocal inductive process occurs between odontogenic epithelium and adjacent mesenchyme.
  • Internal enamel epithelium induces adjacent mesenchymal cells of dental papilla to differentiate into odontoblasts.
  • Odontoblasts form dentin.
  • Dentin induces the internal enamel epithelium to differentiate into ameloblasts and produce enamel.
• This system, though, is incomplete and confusing because not all odontogenic tumors have inductive properties.
• Now defined on basis of tissue of origin.

Diagnosis

Treatment

Outcomes