floating teeth
Floating teeth is the description given to the appearances on imaging of teeth that appear to be floating as a result of alveolar bone destruction around their roots.
Differential diagnosis
They are uncommonly encountered, with a wide differential diagnosis - albeit that the underlying cause will almost always be an aggressive bone disease/lesion. Causes include :
- severe periodontal disease (most common cause )
- hyperparathyroidism
- metastases
- multiple myeloma
- ameloblastoma
- osteomyelitis
- lymphoma
- alveolar squamous cell carcinoma
- nerve-based or primary bone tumors (e.g. Ewing sarcoma) of the mandible or maxilla
- eosinophilic granuloma
- cherubism
- Gorham disease