ENDODONTIC HEALING POTENTIAL

ENDODONTIC HEALING POTENTIAL…

This case shows an example of the remarkable healing potential of the body. This patient presented to our office with recurrent infection on tooth #18 with a Grade III mobility associated with a large periapical lesion. After careful deliberation it was decided to try saving this tooth. The case was done in 2 visits using Ca[OH]2 interim medicament for 8 weeks. Significantly, we were unable to acheive full patency in the mesial root. The left picture represents the pre-operative radiograph and the right represents 5.5 month recall. Note that the previously extruded medicament is continuing to break down and resorb away. Additionally, this patient remains asymptomatic, the tooth is no longer mobile and we see radiographic evidence of near complete healing. Despite the fact that medicament was extruded beyond the distal root apex, we would anticipate that the medicament that is found in the surrounding tissue will continue to resorb away until completely gone. And although we were unable to achieve the ideal root obturation on the mesial root, the pathology is resolving anyway. This is a WIN in our book!