This 18 month-old Golden Retriever presented for a missing right mandibular canine tooth (404), 3rd incisor (403), and 2nd incisor (402) What is the most likely radiographic finding?
An unerupted canine tooth
Question: What additional findings are present radiographically?
Answer: Two abnormal tooth structures (impacted teeth 402 and 403) can be identified rostral to the impacted canine (404) crown. Linear lucencies are present dorsal and ventral to the canine tooth root.
Question: What is the course of action?
Answer: The unerupted (e.g., impacted) tooth structures are at risk for odontogenic cyst (e.g., dentigerous cyst) formation and surgical extraction of all unerupted tooth structures and elimination of any cystic tissue is the treatment of choice.
A lateral approach ventral to the mucogingival line within the vestibular mucosa was utilized as shown. A #4 round bur was used to carefully remove vestibular bone to outline the canine tooth. An elevator was used to carefully extract the canine tooth.
Question: What abnormal finding do you see in the post extraction radiograph?
Answer: An additional abnormal tooth structure is present mesial to the right mandibular first premolar (405)
All three abnormal tooth structures were removed. Cyst material is seen here, adhered to the larger tooth remnant post removal.
4-0 monocryl was used to close the defect utilizing a simple interrupted pattern.
An elizabethan collar was placed to eliminate the possibility of self trauma that could result in dehiscence. The histopath diagnosis was dentigerous cyst.