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Case Report
Delayed eruption: The importance of early recognition
1 Specialty Doctor in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Gloucester, UK
2 Consultant in Oral Surgery, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Gloucester, UK
Address correspondence to:
Laura Collins
BDS (Bris) MJDF RCS (Eng), Specialty Doctor in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Gloucester,
UK
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Article ID: 100030Z07LC2019
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Collins L, Beech A, Richards J. Delayed eruption: The importance of early recognition. J Case Rep Images Dent 2019;5:100030Z07LC2019.ABSTRACT
Introduction: There are many possible causes for delayed tooth eruption. A dental professional needs to recognize when to investigate further and/or refer for specialist assessment, since early diagnosis and intervention will improve patient outcomes. In the current litigious climate, dental professionals must also be vigilant to avoid claims of clinical negligence.
Case Report: The case presented is that of a 19-year-old male with dentigerous cysts (DCs) associated with all four unerupted third molars. The mandibular cysts also involved the second molars, in which failure of eruption was not investigated at a younger age. This delay is likely to have led to the need for more extensive surgery which carried a greater risk of complications.
Conclusion: It is important for a dental professional in primary care to recognize delayed eruption and investigate further with appropriate radiographs. Prompt referral for specialist opinion, as with any clinical anomaly, improves patient outcomes and reduces the risk of litigation.
Keywords: Delayed referral, Medicolegal, Odontogenic cyst, Oral surgery
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Author Contributions:
Laura Collins - Acquisition of data, Analysis of data, Interpretation of data, Drafting the article, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Andrea Beech - Substantial contributions to conception and design, Interpretation of data, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Jessica Richards - Acquisition of data, Analysis of data, Revising it critically for important intellectual content, Final approval of the version to be published
Guaranter of SubmissionThe corresponding author is the guarantor of submission.
Source of SupportNone
Consent StatementWritten informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this article.
Data AvailabilityAll relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.
Conflict of InterestAuthors declare no conflict of interest.
Copyright© 2019 Laura Collins et al. This article is distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original author(s) and original publisher are properly credited. Please see the copyright policy on the journal website for more information.
