Dilaceration | Why it happens | Clinical considerations | Everything you need to know

Reference: Shafer's, Case reports, Neville oral pathology
Dilaceration is an abnormal angulation or a sharp curve in the root or, less frequently, the crown of a tooth.
Cause of Dilaceration
It occurs due to a disturbance between the unmineralized and mineralized portions of the developing tooth germ, usually caused by trauma to the primary predecessor tooth.
Less frequently, dilaceration can develop due to an adjacent anatomic structure, cyst, tumor, or odontogenic hamartoma like an odontoma or supernumerary tooth.
Dilaceration radiographic features
1)On a radiograph, dilaceration is obvious if the bend occurs mesially or distally. Bends in the facial or lingual direction may be harder to detect.
Clinical Considerations
Dilaceration can cause delayed eruption of permanent teeth, longer retention of primary teeth, and apical fenestration of the buccal or labial cortical plate.
Dilaceration poses challenges for:
Endodontics: risk of perforation.
Orthodontic treatment: risk of external root resorption.
Extraction: risk of root fracture.
Prosthodontics: difficulties as an abutment.
Questions
What is dilaceration?
Answer: Dilaceration refers to the abnormal angulation or sharp curve in the root or crown of a tooth.