Dens Invaginatus — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

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ModerateAnatomy (Head & Neck)Dens InvaginatusMFDS Part 1

In the permanent dentition, which tooth is most commonly affected by dens invaginatus (dens in dente)?

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Correct answer: A — Maxillary lateral incisor

The correct answer is **A, the maxillary lateral incisor**. Dens invaginatus is a developmental anomaly caused by invagination of the enamel organ into the dental papilla before mineralisation. Its depth varies from a small enamel-lined coronal pit to an invagination extending through the root. Maxillary lateral incisors show the strongest predilection and were the most frequently affected teeth in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Maxillary central incisors are a plausible distractor because dens invaginatus predominantly affects maxillary anterior teeth, but they are affected less often than lateral incisors. Canines, premolars and molars may occasionally be involved, but none is the most common site. The invagination can retain plaque and permit early pulpal infection, sometimes despite little external caries.

Reference: Dos Santos GNA et al. Prevalence and morphological analysis of dens invaginatus in anterior teeth using cone beam computed tomography: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Oral Biology. 2023;151:105715. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37146389/