The reduced enamel epithelium covers the anatomical crown of a fully formed

yet still unerupted tooth. As the crown of the associated tooth projects into the
cavity of a dentigerous cyst, the wall of which is attached to the neck of the
tooth, it is generally believed that this lesion develops by the accumulation of
fluid between the redueed enamel epithelium and the tooth surface.
Compression of its follicle by the impacted tooth venous obstruction on
follicular vessels induces transudation across the vessel walls pooling of
transudates between follicular wall and the tooth crown increased hydrostatic
pressure separation of the follicle from the crown in time leads to an
increased permeability of the vessels permit the passage of greater quantities
of protein above the low concentration of the pure transudate osmolality of
the cyst fluid internal hydrostatic pressure of the cyst cyst enlarged

Histologically, a dentigerous cyst is lined by non-keratinized stratified squamous

epithelium. Since the dentigerous cyst develops from follicular epithelium it has
more potential for growth, differentiation and degeneration. Occasionally, the
wall of a dentigerous cyst may give rise to a more ominous mucoepidermoid
carcinoma. Due to the tendency for dentigerous cysts to expand rapidly, they
may cause pathological fractures of jaw bones. The usual radiographic
appearance is that of a well-demarcated radiolucent lesion attached at an acute
angle to the cervical area of an unerupted tooth. The border of the lesion may be
radiopaque. Radiographically the cyst appears unilocular with well-defined
margins and often sclerotic boarders. Infected cysts show ill-defined margins.

Shear, Mervyn, and Paul Speight. Cysts of the oral and maxillofacial regions. John Wiley &
Sons, 2008.
Mohan, Karthik Rajaram, et al. "An infected dentigerous cyst associated with an impacted
permanent maxillary canine, inverted mesiodens and impacted supernumerary teeth."
Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences 5.Suppl 2 (2013): S135.