The Use of Hydroxyapatite Polymer with Curdlan in the Treatment of Bone Defects Associated with Ectopic Tooth Extraction in Dogs—A Case Series

Abstract

Ectopic teeth are an eruption disorder in which teeth are located in anatomical structures where, physiologically, they should not occur. An ectopic tooth is a very rare phenomenon, affecting approximately 0.5% of the canine population, and few descriptions of the treatment of such teeth in dogs can be found in the available literature. This article describes the diagnostic and therapeutic handling of cavities following extraction of ectopic teeth in nine dogs. The cases are subdivided into uncomplicated (when the ectopic tooth was encapsulated in the surrounding connective tissue, without lysis of the bone around the tooth) and complicated (in which, in addition to the presence of the ectopic tooth, a dentigerous cyst had formed). Four cases of complicated ectopic teeth are described in more detail. In this study, special attention was paid not only to the technique of tooth extraction itself but also to the method of securing and healing large bone defects after the extraction using hydroxyapatite curdlan polymer. Owing to the plastic properties of the bone substitute preparation, it was possible to implant the material without enlarging the bone defect created during the tooth extraction. Control radiographs showed features of bone regeneration, and clinical examination at both the early and late stages revealed no postoperative complications.