Apical infection spreading to adjacent teeth: a case report

This case report describes apical infection on tooth number 24 that spread to adjacent teeth, resulting in devitalized teeth numbers 23 and 25. The 25-year-old Caucasian female patient was referred to the endodontic resident clinic because of uncontrolled apical infection. Root-end surgery and root-end filling of teeth numbers 23, 24, and 25 were performed. The histopathological diagnosis was a periapical cyst; however, the clinical surgical finding of a purulence-filled bone cavity also revealed a periapical abscess. After root-end surgery and regenerative therapy using Mineral Trioxide Aggregate, Bio-Oss xenograft material, and Bio-Gide resorbable collagen membrane, the patient had no symptoms. Radiographs showed the apical lesion had healed satisfactorily at the 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year follow-ups. The clinical implication of this rare case suggests the importance of standard endodontic diagnostic procedures for pulpal and apical diagnosis, prevention of apical periodontitis exacerbation by reducing bacterial factors, and the effectiveness of healing large bone defects using regenerative materials. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2011;111:e15-e20)