An Unusual Pairing: Earliest Evidence of Fusion Between a Mandibular Third Molar and Distomolar in Türkiye

The presence of supernumerary and fused teeth are each rare dental anomalies in past and present populations. This study provides evidence of the co-occurrence of these two dental anomalies in an ancient Turkish population and contextualize them within the prevalences reported through time in this region. A male individual from the Tepecik settlement in the modern Antalya Province shows an erupted, fully-developed (supplementary) permanent distomolar fused to the mandibular M3. CT imaging indicates that the enamel, dentin and pulp chambers of the two teeth are confluent. While supernumerary teeth have been recorded in ancient Türkiye, no previous evidence has reported a distomolar or dental fusion in early populations. Clinical literature suggests that the rare occurrences of hyperdontia and fusion have continued through the modern era. These lines of evidence suggest these anomalies were rare throughout Turkish history. Our study provides the earliest case of each of these anomalies in Türkiye.