You may not realize it, but there is more than one way that your teeth can join together. Tooth fusion and concrescence are the most important ones you need to be familiar with.
Tooth Fusion
This refers to when two of your teeth combine to create a larger tooth. You will find two separate tooth buds lower down in the mouth. But it just looks like a single tooth above the gumline.
There are two main indications that tooth fusion took place. One is if someone has a tooth that looks larger than normal. The other is if Dr. Sharma notices you have one less tooth than you should have.
Tooth Concrescence
While tooth fusion has your teeth join above the surface, tooth concrescence is the opposite. The cementum of your teeth is the part that fuses. This is the portion of your teeth that cover their roots, so it appears below the gums. This means that your teeth look completely normal above the gumline.
Your dentist will typically only notice tooth concrescence after taking an X-ray. That’s one of the reasons why it’s so crucial to have regular dental X-rays.
Neither Have Critical Oral Health Concerns
Neither concrescence nor fusion has any immediate negative impact on your mouth. However, your dentist needs to know about them to evaluate your mouth for dental issues like cavities properly. Additionally, if you need to extract a tooth with concrescence, it will require separating the two in surgery first.
Conclusion
Fusion and concrescence are two ways that your teeth can join. Fusion occurs above the gum line, while concrescence occurs below it. Neither type of fusion automatically requires correction, but they can require special care during dental checkups. Regular dental checkups and X-rays can spot these conditions and ensure your overall oral health.
Sources:
https://oasisdiscussions.ca/2015/07/30/fctg/
https://vistapacificdental.com/four-rare-and-interesting-dental-anomalies/