Odontogenic tumors: a review

Odontogenic tumors comprise a range of disorders of growth, from malignant and benign neoplasms, to malformations of dental tissues of self-limited growth. They are principally jaw lesions but some may present as localized gingival swellings, so-called peripheral odontogenic tumors. The majority of odontogenic tumors are benign; however, some, typically (but not exclusively) ameloblastomas, show locally infiltrative behavior. This review will incorporate an update on odontogenic tumors in the light of the 2005 World Health Organization (WHO) classification (3), which introduced some new nomenclature and, in the view of many specialists, more than a little confusion.