Periodontics · patient case question
A fractured cusp is discovered on tooth #30 with a traumatic ulcer on the lateral tongue directly opposing the sharp edge. What is the appropriate treatment?
Patient case: Soft Tissue Assessment and Gingival Biotype
demo: 26-year-old female
chief: Consultation before orthodontic treatment.
history: Non-contributory.
meds: None
findings: Photographic assessment shows highly scalloped gingival architecture with a translucent margin through which the underlying periodontal probe is visible, and minimal keratinized tissue at the mandibular incisors. The dorsal tongue shows deep grooves radiating from a central fissure.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Restore the fractured cusp to eliminate the source of trauma, then reassess the ulcer
- A. Immediate biopsy is reserved for lesions with no identifiable cause or with suspicious features; here the cause is evident.
- B. Correct. When a clear mechanical cause is identified, removing it and reassessing in about two weeks is the correct sequence. An ulcer that fails to heal after the irritant is gone then requires biopsy.
- C. Antibiotics play no role in a traumatic ulcer.
- D. Steroids may mask a lesion whose cause has not been addressed.