Root canal treatment of a periradicular lesion caused by unintentional root damage after orthodontic miniscrew placement: a case report

Er K, Bayram M, Taşdemir T. Root canal treatment of a periradicular lesion caused by unintentional root damage after orthodontic miniscrew placement: a case report. International Endodontic Journal44, 1170–1175, 2011. Aim To present the successful endodontic management of a maxillary lateral incisor tooth with a periradicular lesion caused by unintentional root damage after orthodontic miniscrew placement. Summary A 22‐year‐old female was diagnosed with a skeletal Class II, Division 2 malocclusion with Class II molar and canine relationships on both sides. The treatment plan included distalization of the maxillary first molars bilaterally followed by full fixed appliance therapy. For the maxillary molar distalization, an appliance in conjunction with a miniscrew anchorage system was designed. Two months later, the patient came to the clinic with complaints of pain in the maxillary right lateral incisor region. On intraoral examination, intraoral sinus tracts were detected in the maxillary right buccal sulcus and palate. A large radiolucent lesion with a well‐defined margin around the root of the maxillary right lateral incisor was seen. Root canal treatment was performed on the maxillary right lateral incisor tooth. The root canal was filled with gutta‐percha and AH Plus sealer, using a lateral compaction technique. The final restoration of the tooth was completed using composite, and the tooth was reviewed after 10 months. The tooth was asymptomatic and radiographically showed repair of the lesion. Healing was achieved without any need for further endodontic or surgical intervention. Key learning points • This case illustrates the need to take care with miniscrews when performing orthodontic treatment, especially when the miniscrews are in close proximity to root apices. • The periradicular lesion as a result of miniscrew damage was successfully treated with root canal treatment.