Unusual radiographic finding during routine periodontal maintenance: a case report

This case report describes the presence of a radiopaque artifact appearing in multiple intraoral periapical and bitewing radiographs during routine periodontal maintenance, in an edentulous area with a history of a ridge preservation procedure. Clinical examination of the area showed a normal soft tissue appearance. Upon further investigation of the patient's recent past medical history, it was found that the artifact was due to the presence of a dermal filler (Radiesse--Merz Aesthetics, San Mateo, CA), which remained after a facial cosmetic procedure. This unusual finding is an indication that clinicians should consider facial cosmetic dermal fillers as part of the differential diagnosis when unusual radiopaque objects are found during routine dental radiographs.