Periodontal healing following non-surgical repair of an old perforation with pocket formation and oral communication

Iatrogenic perforations negatively impact the outcome of endodontic treatments. Studies on prognostic factors showed that perforations in the coronal third of the root with periodontal pocket formation have an unfavorable prognosis. A 36-year-old female was referred for endodontic evaluation of tooth #13 with a history of an iatrogenic perforation, happened 3 years ago. There was a sinus tract associated with perforation, 10 mm probing on the mesial and mesio-palatal, bleeding on probing, radiolucent lesion adjacent to the perforation and complete resorption of the interdental bone between teeth #13 and #12. After the treatment options were discussed, she chose to save the tooth. The tooth was accessed under rubber dam isolation, the perforation site was cleaned and disinfected using 0.5% sodium hypochlorite and sealed with calcium-enriched mixture cement. Eighteen months after treatment the tooth was functional and asymptomatic. The probing depths were normal without bleeding on probing. Radiographically, the interdental crestal bone formed between teeth #13 and #12. Despite all negative prognostic factors in this case (i.e., perforations in the coronal third, pocket formation, and radiolucent lesion), healing was unexpectedly achieved via non-surgical repair of the perforation. Further research on biological aspects of healing in the periodontium following iatrogenic perforations are recommended.