Introduction
A root canal treatment is a dental procedure to remove infected pulp from the tooth. In this procedure all the canals of the tooth are cleaned and disinfected from inside. It is later filled and sealed. This procedure is done to eliminate the bacteria from the root canal to prevent reinfection. This is a very minute and precise technique where even 0.1mm makes a difference. Even a little infected pulp left behind can cause infection and one of which is the sinus tract. (American association of endodontists)
Odontogenic cutaneous sinus tracts are relatively rare. They consist of a sinuous channel or cord-like tissue extending from the infected sites like canals and pulp to the external part of the mouth, face and neck. (PubMed Central)
Case Summary
In this case, the patient had his RCT just a month before. This case clearly states that there must be some remaining or missed canal left which may have caused the sinus tract this early. The patient was a 37 year old male, and had his RCT done on tooth number 17 which is the upper first quadrant of the jaw. The patient was diagnosed with a sinus tract while preparing for his dental crown. The patient was suffering from minimal pain but no drainage at that time. After the radiographic assessment, we finally diagnosed the sinus tract which helped us to identify the offending tooth.
CONCLUSION
The development of the sinus tract often tells us about how important it is to clean and irrigate the canal completely. Early diagnosis of pathologies can prevent any serious infection to the oral as well as systemic health. It also helps in improving the prognosis of the affected tooth.
Have you ever experienced a dental problem that turned out to be more serious that it seems?
MBH/DB