Ameloblastoma overview

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Ameloblastoma is a rare, benign tumor of odontogenic epithelium (the cells that create the enamel, or outside portion, of the teeth during development) much more commonly appearing in the mandible than the maxilla. While these tumors are rarely malignant or metastatic (that is, they rarely spread to other parts of the body), and progress slowly, the resulting lesions can cause severe abnormalities of the face and jaw. Additionally, because abnormal cell growth easily infiltrates and destroys surrounding bony tissues, wide surgical excision is required to treat this disorder. Further, dentists caution that wide surgical excision is not invasive enough to adequately treat this disorder.