Dens invaginatus of a maxillary lateral incisor: endodontic treatment

A right maxillary central incisor and an adjacent lateral incisor with a dens invaginatus were identified as requiring endodontic treatment. Both teeth were treated by nonsurgical means. Thirteen months postoperatively the central incisor showed evidence of periapical resolution, whereas the lateral incisor did not. The lateral incisor was then treated with apical curettage, an apicoectomy, and retrograde amalgam filling. One year after the surgical procedure the periapical tissues of both the lateral and central incisors exhibited satisfactory resolution. This case demonstrates that certain cases of dens invaginatus can be successfully treated only with a surgical approach.