Case report--Scanora imaging of an unusual unerupted tooth located entirely below the inferior dental canal

We present an unusual case of an unerupted tooth located beneath the inferior dental canal (IDC) seen as an incidental finding on a dental panoramic radiograph (DPR). An unerupted premolar was identified on the DPR lying horizontally and located entirely below the inferior dental canal in the first and second molar region. The crown was distally orientated and was somewhat demineralised. As this unerupted tooth appeared to have an intimate relationship with the inferior dental canal, which in turn had a close relationship with the distal roots of the lower left first molar, this relationship was investigated further. Spiral tomography using Soredex's Scanora unit was used to obtain three contiguous 2 mm thick cross-sectional images of the area, which showed the separation of the inferior dental canal from both the first molar tooth above and the unerupted premolar. This case highlights the role of Scanora cross-sectional imaging in establishing accurately the relationship between teeth and the inferior dental canal and to document the unusual position of this unerupted tooth.