Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

W hile the public and some scientists con- tinue to claim that dental amalgam causes health problems, other scientists and the FDA concluded that clinical studies did not establish a causal link between dental amalgam and health problems.2,3 This case report will discuss the entrapment of amalgam parti- cles. Case report Recently, a 50-year-old Cauca- sian male presented to the VA New Jersey Health Care System Dental Service at East Orange seeking dental care. The patient came to our facility exploring, among other things, the viability of a dental implant in the region of tooth #30. The patient gave the fol- lowing dental history. Approxi- mately three years ago, his right mandibular third molar (#32) was scheduled for an amalgam- alloy core buildup following root canal therapy. A crown length- ening procedure using reflected, full-thickness buccal and lin- gual flaps was performed. While the flaps were reflect- ed, an alloy core buildup was performed. The foreign bodies visible in the radiographic im- ages are most likely amalgam alloy particles that either be- came trapped in the apical por- tion of the flap or in the intersti- tial tissue. Comprehensive oral and maxillofacial examination in- cluded an intraoral and extraoral exam, full-mouth periapical X-rays and a panoramic radiograph. Among other clinical findings, the panoramic radiographs re- vealed incidental foreign bodies, most likely amalgam, embedded in the soft and/or hard tissue of the oral cavity due to iatrogenic treatment (Fig. 1). The patient consented to ex- plore the feasibility of a dental implant in the region of tooth #30 and, at the same time, ex- plore the region of #32 in order to determine the orientation and proximity of the foreign bodies to critical anatomical landmarks. For that study, a cone-beam CT (CBCT) 3-D scan of his lower jaw was obtained utilizing an i-CAT™ CBCT (Imaging Sciences International, Hatfeild, PA.). In- herent in the acquisition of the 3-D volume of information is the ability to explore the precise lo- cation of the foreign bodies. Foreign bodies discovered during routine dental treatment Dov Almog, Samuel Melcer, Rachel Berley, & Kenneth Cheng present a case June 13- 19, 201124 United Kingdom EditionSpecial Feature www.ctscan.co.uk IDT Dental Products Ltd, Unit GC Westpoint, 36-37 Warple Way, London W3 0RG. Tel. +44 (0)20 8600 3540 i-CAT is a Trade Mark of Imaging Sciences International LLC NEW HD Panel – for capturing superior image quality in both 2D and 3D NEW High-End HD 2D Panoramic – a traditional low-dose 2D OPG enhanced with i-PAN™ image capture technology NEW 8cm scan height – perfect for implant placement NEW Extended Diameter Scan – unique adjustable Medium Field of View with a choice of 8cm or 14cm in Diameter NEW Adjustable scan heights from 2cm to 8cm – perfect for keeping the dose as low as reasonably achievable NEW Fast scan times of 8.9 and 23 seconds – perfect for avoiding patient movement SAME reliable flat panel technology and all the things that made the i-CAT the best CBCT scanner on the market. 3D - CBCT Images 2D - True OPG Images The best CBCT scanner has now gone HD Introducing the new low cost High Definition