Use of the pericoronal tissue of impacted third molar in subgingival connective tissue autograft: A case report

The pericoronal tissue, or dental follicle, is a connective tissue found around impacted teeth crown. The dental follicle is involved in odontogenesis, dental eruption and periodontogenesis. A young woman presented a vestibular U-shaped periodontal recession localized in tooth 26. After consent the patient underwent a local intervention combining the extraction of her included 28 and a mucogingival management of her periodontal recession localized in 26, using the pericoronary sac of the tooth of 28 has been used as a subepithelial connective autograft. The results 6 weeks after surgery showed a significant gain in thickness and a gain in height of attached gingiva of 26. The success of the use of pericoronary sac in subepithelial connective autograft may allow to spare the use of a healthy harvesting site. Furthermore, the dental follicle is often available in young patients with prophylactic extraction of impacted 3rd molars. However, one pericoronary sac may provide enough connective tissue, only for the surgical treatment of a unique recession site. The use of the pericoronal sac has shown promising results in the treatment of periodontal recessions. Wider applications could be investigated using the pericoronal sac in the future. •The pericoronal tissue may be used in subepithelial autografting technics.•The pericoronal tissue has the great histophysiological potential of pluripotent cells.•Pericoronal tissues are easily collected in young patients.•The use of pericoronal tissue may replace other conjonctive sampling methods.