Ectopic eruption of permanent incisors after predecessor pulpectomy: five cases

Pulpectomy in primary teeth is a common technique that preserves teeth in the oral environment and maintains or recovers periapical tissues to a healthy condition. This article describes the ectopic eruption of permanent incisors whose primary predecessors underwent pulpectomy using ZOE filler paste. In a group of 135 teeth that received pulpectomy therapy due to caries, 10 primary maxillary incisors had overretention and were followed for at least 3.5 years (mean time of 4.2 years), both clinically and radiographically, until the permanent teeth erupted. The proposed treatment included extraction of the overretained primary incisors based on permanent successor eruption chronology and contralateral eruption. Seven permanent teeth erupted ectopically. Autocorrection of the permanent tooth positions was observed in five cases. It can be concluded that periodic clinical and radiographic assessments are essential to verify radicular and filling paste resorptions and to avoid overretention and any subsequent malocclusion.