Use of Cone-Beam Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis and Treatment of an Unusual Canine Abnormality

Diagnosis and treatment planning are important for successful endodontic treatment. We report a 24-year old male who presented to the Government Dental College in Kozhikode, Kerala, India, in 2015 with pain in his right upper canine. A digital periapical radiograph indicated the presence of a supern...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Archana Gopalakrishnan, Unnikrishna K., Anita Balan, Haris P. S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sultan Qaboos University 2017-05-01
Series:Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.squ.edu.om/index.php/squmj/article/view/2215
Description
Summary:Diagnosis and treatment planning are important for successful endodontic treatment. We report a 24-year old male who presented to the Government Dental College in Kozhikode, Kerala, India, in 2015 with pain in his right upper canine. A digital periapical radiograph indicated the presence of a supernumerary tooth superimposing the root of the canine. However, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) confirmed that the supernumerary tooth was an illusion and that the canine root had a sharp invagination involving the labial and pulpal dentin surfaces, with evidence of periapical bone destruction. A blunt resection was performed at the level of the invagination and the resected end was filled with a dentin substitute. At a one-year follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic and the periapical region appeared to be healing well. This report highlights the importance of CBCT in visualising abnormal canine morphology, thus allowing appropriate endodontic treatment.
ISSN:2075-051X
2075-0528