This week in the clinic: retained deciduous root fragment

This week I am showcasing a frequently seen incidental finding; a retained deciduous root fragment.  A retained deciduous root fragment can be seen monthly in a dental setting.  The most commonly retained tooth is the deciduous second molar.  These root fragments are seen on either the mesial or the distal (sometimes both) of the second premolar.  It is more common in the mandible than the maxilla.  This case shows a linear radiopaque entity to the mesial of the mandibular left second premolar (#20).  There may or may not be a periodontal ligament space evident around the fragment.  Check out this case. Click the image to enlarge.

For more information and other radiographs of retained deciduous root fragments check out my page on retained deciduous root fragments.

Enjoy!

This week in the clinic is a weekly series featuring cases I have come across since I started in the dental field.  These cases have been collected from throughout the United States and world.  While the series title is ‘This week in the clinic’, that does not necessarily mean the case was actually seen this week in the clinic.