Supernumerary teeth, also known as supernumerary teeth, are additional teeth that may be present in the oral cavity, beyond the normal number of teeth natural to an individual. They are caused by the presence of extra teeth buds that fail to develop or are not completely surrounded by dental follicles, resulting in erupted teeth that are not surrounded by alveolar bone. These teeth may be single or multiple and can be located in various positions in the dental arch.
In contrast to supernumerary teeth, normal teeth are numbered from 1 to 32 for permanent teeth and 20 for primary (baby) teeth. Supernumerary teeth are usually identified by numbers from 51 to 82 for permanent teeth and by the letter 'S' for primary teeth. For example, if a supernumerary tooth is adjacent to tooth number 19, it will be documented and reported on the claim form as tooth number 69 (19 + 50 = 69).
When charting procedures for supernumerary teeth, the numbering system uses the following guidelines:
- For permanent teeth, add 50 to the closest standard tooth number. For example, if a supernumerary tooth is adjacent to tooth 12, the tooth number entered would be 62.
- For primary teeth, add the letter 'S' after the closest standard tooth number. For example, if a supernumerary tooth is adjacent to tooth T, the tooth number entered would be TS.
