Atypically located paramolar. Report of a rare case

Abstract

A paramolar mesial to the mandibular second molar would be predicted from the atavistic theory on phylogenetic evolution of the human dentition. The actual finding of this feature, however, appears to have been reported only once. A 4 mm long tooth was found mesial to the right mandibular second molar in a 54-yr-old Japanese female. The tooth had a ball-shaped crown, a relatively normal crown/root length ratio, and a tapering root located entirely in the gingival soft tissue.