During evolution there has been a trend to reduce both the number of teeth and the location where they are found within the oral cavity. In mammals the formation of teeth is restricted to a horseshoe band of odontogenic tissue, creating a single dental arch on the top and bottom of the jaw. Additional teeth and structures containing dental tissue, such as odontogenic tumours or cysts, can appear as pathologies. These tooth-like structures can be associated with the normal dentition, appearing within the dental arch, or in non-dental areas. The aetiology of these pathologies is not well elucidated. Reawakening of the potential to form teeth in different parts of the oral cavity could explain the origin of dental pathologies outside the dental arch, thus such pathologies are a consequence of our evolutionary history. In this review we look at the changing pattern of tooth formation within the oral cavity during vertebrate evolution, the potential to form additional tooth-like structures in mammals, and discuss how this knowledge shapes our understanding of dental pathologies in humans.

中文翻译：

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重新唤醒祖先牙齿潜力作为解释牙齿病理的机制

在进化过程中，有一种趋势是减少牙齿的数量和牙齿在口腔内的位置。在哺乳动物中，牙齿的形成仅限于牙源组织的马蹄形带，在下颌的顶部和底部形成一个单一的牙弓。包含牙组织的其他牙齿和结构，例如牙源性肿瘤或囊肿，可能会出现病理。这些牙齿状结构可能与正常牙列相关，出现在牙弓内或非牙齿区域。这些病理的病因尚未得到很好的阐明。重新唤醒在口腔不同部位形成牙齿的潜力可以解释牙弓外牙齿病变的起源，因此这些病变是我们进化史的结果。