A cementicle is a small, spherical or ovoid calcified mass embedded within or attached to the cementum layer on the root surface of a tooth, or lying free within the periodontal ligament.
[2] They may appear singly or in groups,[1] and are most commonly found at the tip of the root.
[5] Cementicles are usually acellular, and may contain either fibrillar or afibrillar cementum, or a mixture of both.
[5] Cementicles are the result of dystrophic calcification,[5] but the reason why this takes place is unclear.
[3] Cementicles are thought to form when calcification occurs around a nidus, a precipitating center.