Turner Tooth — NDEB AFK MCQ

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ModeratePaediatric DentistryTurner ToothNDEB AFK

Which developmental defect of enamel is characterised by pitting and grooving of a single permanent tooth, usually a premolar or lateral incisor, caused by infection or trauma to the overlying primary tooth?

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Correct answer: D — Enamel hypoplasia (Turner tooth)

A Turner tooth (localised enamel hypoplasia) affects a single permanent tooth (most commonly premolars, as they develop beneath primary molar roots). It results from infection (periapical abscess of the primary tooth) or trauma transmitted to the developing permanent tooth germ. The defect ranges from mild enamel discolouration to severe hypoplasia with pitting and morphological defects. The severity depends on the timing of the insult relative to enamel formation.

Reference: Neville – Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, 4th ed., 2016