Multidisciplinary approach for treatment of a dentigerous cyst – marsupialization, orthodontic treatment, and implant placement: a case report

Background Dentigerous cysts are common odontogenic cysts associated with unerupted teeth. We describe a previously unreported case of a multidisciplinary approach using surgical, orthodontic, and implant treatment to establish the occlusion for a patient with a maxillary dentigerous cyst. Case presentation An 18-year-old Japanese woman visited our hospital with a chief complaint of gingival swelling in her anterior maxillary region, midline diastema, and tooth crowding. Her main symptom was this gingival swelling. A panoramic radiograph revealed a radiolucent area, 30 mm in diameter, round in shape, and with well-demarcated margins including the maxillary canine. Computed tomography revealed a cystic cavity filled with homogeneous fluid of the same density as water, and a distolingually inclined canine. Our clinical diagnosis was maxillary dentigerous cyst with an unerupted distolingually inclined canine. The selected treatment was marsupialization of the dentigerous cyst, followed by orthodontic traction of the unerupted canine, and simultaneous orthodontic treatment of the midline diastema and tooth crowding. The orthodontic traction failed because the canine did not erupt completely, and the canine was extracted. The treatment plan was then changed to implant treatment after the tooth crowding and midline diastema had been improved. Because the alveolar ridge width was inadequate, the implant was placed after a two-stage implant treatment; therefore, a satisfactory occlusion could be achieved. Our patient did not experience any complications, and the cyst has not recurred. A radiograph taken 7 years after marsupialization of the dentigerous cyst revealed that the cystic cavity had been replaced by new bone. Conclusions In general, orthodontic traction of an unerupted tooth after marsupialization should be the best option. However, if orthodontic traction fails, a multidisciplinary approach involving implant treatment may be necessary. We describe a case in which a multidisciplinary approach involving surgical, orthodontic, and implant treatment was used to establish a satisfactory occlusion for a patient with a dentigerous cyst.