Non-syndromic supernumerary premolars, a literature review and a report of two cases

Abstract

A parapremolar is a supernumerary tooth that is located in the premolar region. They appear more frequently in the mandible than in the maxilla. Several theories have been suggested to explain this phenomenon, with the “dental lamina hyperactivity theory” found to be the most accepted. Supernumerary premolars are usually impacted. They can be associated with complications or stay asymptomatic. Radiographic identification is very important for the detection of asymptomatic impacted parapremolars. Treatment involves the removal of the supernumerary tooth because of the complications that its presence may cause or to keep it under observational management. This article presents a review of supernumerary premolars and reports two cases of patients who attended the dental clinics of the Faculty of Dentistry at the Arab American University in Palestine.