K03: Other diseases of hard tissues of teeth

K03.4: Hypercementosis

Every tooth consists of 3 sections: the crown, the tooth neck (cervix) and the tooth root. The crown is the visible part of the tooth. The tooth neck is covered by the gums. The tooth root keeps the tooth in the jawbone.

The cementum is the hard outer layer that protects the root of the tooth. The cementum also helps anchor the tooth in the bone.

There are different reasons why more cementum than usual can form. It may be caused by an inflammation or an injury. Changes to genetic information can also cause excess cementum to develop.