External root resorption following partial-thickness connective tissue graft placement: A case report

We report an unusual case of external root resorption (ERR) that developed in a 37-year-old black male approximately 1 year following routine partial thickness connective tissue graft surgery. The lesion was accessed via flap surgery, thoroughly root planed, and the mucoperiosteal flap replaced. The site healed uneventfully and the patient has been closely observed for over 1 year without symptoms or recurrence of the resorptive lesion and the affected tooth remained vital. Clinicians performing partial-thickness connective tissue grafts should be alert to the possible occurrence of root resorption over extended periods of time. The authors speculate that retention of the donor periosteum with placement on the recipient dentin and root biomodification may limit the resorptive response following connective tissue graft procedures to treat tooth root recession.