Shell Teeth

Definition

In 1954, Rushton (1954) reported a patient with tooth abnormalities which he termed shell teeth. He referred to it as a new form of dentinal dysplasia but then discussed the differential diagnosis primarily with regard to dentinogenesis imperfecta. It is possible that he was using the term dentinal dysplasia in a loose sense – he was the first to apply that term 15 years earlier and the term had probably not been adopted by many in the intervening years. His paper stated “many of them [the teeth] lacked roots … pulpal cavities were enlarged … little more than a thin shell of enamel and dentin existed.” The teeth were apparently of normal color at one time but became darker over a period of time. There was no family history of dental abnormalities (though the parents were edentulous). The mandibular incisors and canines were less affected than the premolars which had markedly enlarged pulp spaces and short roots. In the maxilla, the anterior teeth were also more normal...