Orthodontic Elastic Separator-Induced Periodontal Abscess: A Case Report

Aim. Orthodontic elastic bands were proposed as being the source of gingival abscesses that can rapidly lead to bone loss and teeth exfoliation. We report an adolescent, otherwise, healthy patient whose periodontal status was sound. Shortly after undergoing preparations for orthodontic treatment con...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Talia Becker (Author), Alex Neronov (Author)
Format: Book
Published: Hindawi Limited, 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z.
Subjects:
Online Access:Connect to this object online.
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Aim. Orthodontic elastic bands were proposed as being the source of gingival abscesses that can rapidly lead to bone loss and teeth exfoliation. We report an adolescent, otherwise, healthy patient whose periodontal status was sound. Shortly after undergoing preparations for orthodontic treatment consisting of orthodontic separators, he presented with a periodontal abscess for which there was no apparent etiology. A non-orthoradial X-ray was inconclusive, but an appropriate one revealed a subgingival orthodontic separator as the cause of the abscess. Removal of the separator and thorough scaling led to complete resolution of the abscess, but there was already residual mild damage to the alveolar bone. Summary. Failure to use appropriate imaging to reveal the cause of gingival abscesses can result in the delay of implementing treatment and halting irreversible alveolar bone loss. An inflammatory process restricted to the gingiva and refractive to conventional therapy should raise the possibility of a foreign body etiology.
Item Description:2090-6447
2090-6455
10.1155/2012/463903