BACKGROUND: The terminology surrounding developmental lesions in the oral cavity is widely applied, often leading to confusion in differentiating between developmental malformations and neoplasia. Odontogenic tumor classification includes both true neoplasms and malformations which make it very complex and dynamic.METHOD AND CONCLUSION: In this brief report, we will first discuss the concepts of malformations and neoplasia and then focusing on their relevance to odontogenic tumors, which impacts their classification and treatment, particularly mixed odontogenic lesions.