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| CASE REPORT |
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| Year : 2014 | Volume
: 4
| Issue : 1 | Page : 53-54 |
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Wired root canal-dentistry forgotten art!!
KV Arun Kumar1, D Deepa2
1 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Subharti Dental College and Hospital, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
2 Department of Periodontology, Subharti Dental College and Hospital, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
| Date of Web Publication | 18-Feb-2015 |
Correspondence Address:
D Deepa
Department of Periodontology, Subharti Dental College and Hospital, Meerut - 250 005, Uttar Pradesh
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/2231-6027.151632
Foreign objects in the pulp chamber or root canals of deciduous and permanent teeth have been reported in the literature. In the era of modern dentistry with advanced obturating materials available, it was interesting to accidently diagnose the root canals being obturated with stainless steel wires. Here, we report a unique case where the root canals were obturated with stainless steel wires following which the patient developed persistent pain and infection. Keywords: Foreign body, metal wires, pulp chamber, root canal, stainless steel wire, tooth crown
How to cite this article:
Arun Kumar K V, Deepa D. Wired root canal-dentistry forgotten art!!. Int J Oral Health Sci 2014;4:53-4 |
| Introduction | |  |
Foreign objects have been reported to be lodged in the root canals and pulp chamber. They range from pencil lead, darning needles, metal screws, to beads and stapler pins. Grossman reported retrieval of indelible ink pencil tips, brads, a toothpick, absorbent points and even tomato seed from the root canal of anterior teeth left open for drainage. [1] Zillich et al. and Turner cited cases wherein hat pins and dressmaker pins that were used to remove the food plugs from root canals of maxillary and mandibular central incisors undergoing endodontic treatment had eventually fractured inside the root canals of their teeth. [2],[3] Here, we present a unique case of root canals being obturated with stainless steel wires without the patient's consent.
| Case Report | | |
A female patient aged 30 years presented with recurrent pain in the left lower third molar since 2 years. Medical and family history was not significant. Dental history revealed the treatment of carious tooth with root canal therapy. Since then, the patient had recurrent bouts of pain and moderate swelling that subsided after antibiotic treatment. On intraoral examination, #38 was heavily restored with amalgam filling. The tooth was tender on percussion. Intraoral radiograph revealed multiple root canal obturations with radiopaque material with no obvious periapical pathology or periodontal pathology evident [Figure 1]. No mobility was present. Because repeated antibiotic therapy had not provided any relief to the patient, she insisted on extraction of #38. | Figure 1: Intraoral periapical radiograph showing multiple canals restored with radiopaque material
Click here to view |
Regular elevation of the tooth resulted in fracture of crown, which posed unusual resistance to removal. Entangled steel wires were noticed in the pulp chamber [Figure 2]. The roots were sectioned and retrieved. The socket was irrigated and cleared of any foreign material and left for secondary healing. Healing was uneventful and the patient was satisfied with the treatment. She was surprised to know about the stainless steel wires used for obturation, which was not informed (about the material being used) during obturation.
| Discussion | | |
The case presented here is unique as the patient, even after developing recurrent infection and pain, was not advised for the retrieval of the rigid metal wires. In spite of this, antibiotic was prescribed with analgesics. Even after substitution of the antibiotic regimen when the patient's symptoms were not subsided, she decided to visit the institution for a second opinion.
A radiograph could be of diagnostic significance, especially if the foreign body is radioopaque. These foreign objects could be easily retrieved if they are located within the pulp chamber, but once the object has been pushed apically their retrieval may be complicated. [4]
In the present case, extraction was advised and performed to relieve the patient of pain and infection.
| Conclusion | | |
In this era of patient-driven dentistry and with the availability of advanced obturating materials, it was unusual to diagnose a case of obturated root canals with stainless steel wires without the patient's consent.
| References | | |
| 1. | Grossman LI. Endodontic case reports. Dent Clin North Am 1974;18:509-27.  [ PUBMED] |
| 2. | Zillich RM, Plickens TN. Patient induced blockage of root canal: Report of a case. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 1982;54:689-90. |
| 3. | Turner CH. An unusual foreign body. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 1983;56:223. |
| 4. | McAuliffe, N. DrageNA, Hunter B. Staple diet: A foreign body in a tooth. Int J Pediatr Dent 2005;15:468-71. |
[Figure 1], [Figure 2]
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