DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF SUBPONTIC OSSEOUS HYPERPLASIA - REPORT OF A CASE

This report describes a case of subpontic osseous hyperplasia that occ urred in the posterior mandible of a healthy 67-year-old woman. The tw o hard masses, which were removed from beneath a fixed partial denture that was placed 35 years ago and spanned the lower left first premola r and the first and second molars, consisted of normal viable dense co rtical bone. Only 30 cases of this phenomenon defined as a slow-growin g, benign osseous proliferation occurring on the crest of the alveolar ridge beneath the pontic of a fixed partial denture have been describ ed in the literature. Possible causes, including genetic programming, functional stimulus, and mild chronic irritation are discussed, as wel l as rationale for treatment of this anomaly.