Repair of perforating inflammatory root resorption in a previously traumatized incisor: 36-month follow-up

Inflammatory root resorption is a serious complication of dental trauma, which leads to progressive loss of the root structure. The purpose of this report was to present a case of perforating inflammatory root resorption in a previously traumatized young incisor tooth with incomplete root development. A 12-year-old girl, who had suffered a traumatic dental injury 4 years earlier, was referred with symptoms of pain and swelling in a permanent maxillary central incisor. The tooth had been root-filled and had thin dentinal walls and a wide open apex. During retreatment, a perforating resorption site was observed on the root's distal aspect. Because the entire root canal filling could not be removed, the resorption site was repaired with white mineral trioxide aggregate in the presence of the remaining gutta-percha. Clinical and radiographic follow-up was conducted for 36 months, demonstrating arrest of the resorptive process, regeneration of the periradicular tissues, and re-establishment of the periodontal space.