BACKGROUND: Osteoma is a benign tumor of the bones, which can be classified as central or peripheral. The occurrence in the jawbones is uncommon, but when it occurs, there is a greater prevalence of the mandible. The etiology is still unknown, and the hypothesis of its development is debated.
METHODS: A 35-year-old Caucasian man presenting a tumor lesion in the right jawbone that had been growing for 8 years sought medical service complaining of speaking impairment. According to the patient, the tumor appeared shortly after a minor trauma caused by tooth extraction. The diagnosis of the lesion was made through clinical, radiographic, and histological methods, and the surgical treatment was successful and satisfactory for the patient as well as the surgical team, despite a short follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS: Etiopathogenesis of osteoma is not determined in the majority of cases. In the present report, it was possible to hypothesize the association between a minor trauma and the development of the tumor, reinforcing the reactive theory of tumor development. The uncommon location of the osteoma, as well the possibility of identifying the possible cause of the lesion, makes this case particularly interesting.

Dense bone islands (DBIs) are usually asymptomatic and do not require any treatment. This case report presents a DBI of an unusual presentation, which was an incidental finding on a radiograph of a 15-year-old orthodontic patient. The DBI lesion was 24 mm in size, occupying at least 50% of the alveolar process between the upper right canine and lateral incisor, extending up the lateral aspect of the anterior margin of the right nasal fossa. Generally, DBIs are 2-3 mm in size and more commonly found in the mandible in the molar and premolar region. This article further discusses the impact of DBIs on orthodontic treatment such as difficulty with achieving space closure and adequate root tip or torque. We also examine the potential medical implications of DBIs. This is clinically important, especially if multiple DBIs, or osteomas which have a similar radiographic appearance to DBIs, are found in a patient as they may be associated with adenomatous intestinal polyps, which, if not treated, have a 100% chance of becoming malignant transformation.