Talon cusp

Talon Cusp is a rare dental anomaly. Generally a person with this develops 'cusp-like' projections located on the inside surface of the affected tooth. Talon cusp is an extra cusp on an anterior tooth. Although talon cusp may not appear serious (and in some people may be completely benign), it can cause clinical, diagnostic, functional problems and alters the aesthetic appeal. Talon Cusp is a rare dental anomaly. Generally a person with this develops 'cusp-like' projections located on the inside surface of the affected tooth. Talon cusp is an extra cusp on an anterior tooth. Although talon cusp may not appear serious (and in some people may be completely benign), it can cause clinical, diagnostic, functional problems and alters the aesthetic appeal. The term refers to the same condition as dens evaginatus, but the talon cusp is the manifestation of dens evaginatus on anterior teeth. Talon cusp can simply be defined as hyperplasia of the cingulum of an anterior tooth.Talon cusp was first described by W.H. Mitchell in 1982 and named by J. Kimball Mellor B.S., D.D.S. and Louis W. Ripa, D.D.S., M.S. due to its similar appearance to an eagle's talon. Some sources define a talon cusp as an extra cusp which extends at least half the distance between the cementoenamel junction and the incisal edge of the tooth. Other sources classify all enlarged cingula as talon cusps and classify them according to the degree of enlargement. The incidence has been found to range from 1% to 6% of the population. Talon cusp tends to occur on permanent teeth only. They are vary rare in (deciduous) baby teeth. In most cases the involved teeth are the permanent maxillary lateral incisors (55%), followed by maxillary central incisors (33%), mandibular incisors (6%), and maxillary canines (4%). Talon Cusp will show physical signs of the irregular dental formation of the teeth and cause other symptoms of the disease that could possibly lead to dental problems in the future depending on severity of the deformity. Most commonly, the extra cusp is located on the lingual surface, giving a three-pronged appearance which has been described as an eagle talon. Rarely however the extra cusp may be situated on the facial surface, or there may be extra cusps on both lingual and facial surfaces. There may be a deep groove between the talon cusp and the rest of the tooth. The extra cusp typically contains pulp tissue. When viewing talon cusp from the occlusal, the projection will appear 'x-shaped' as well as appears conical and mimicking the shape of an 'eagle's talon'.