Among developmental
odontogenic cysts, the dentigerous type is the second most prevailing one. It is a benign intraosseous lesion commonly affecting the mandibular region.
Dentigerous cysts present a high prevalence in children as they can be caused by the eruption of permanent teeth or the
infection of deciduous ones. The adopted treatment modalities include enucleation (
cystectomy), marsupialization, and
decompression.
Decompression maintains communication between the
cyst and the oral medium through a sutured fixed device, namely an acrylic
stent or a pretrimmed disposable suction tube. In the mixed dentition, the extraction of the affected primary teeth and the
decompression approach is recommended, especially since children and parents are more tolerant of
conservative treatments. We report in this study, a case of a 9-year-old boy complaining of a painful swelling in the left mandibular region. Intraoral and radiological examination revealed an expansion of the buccal and lingual cortical plates associated with teeth #73, #74, and #75 and a well-limited, unilocular radiolucent image extending from the distal aspect of tooth #31 to the mesial aspect of tooth #36 involving the
crowns of the
unerupted teeth #33, #34, and #35. The preliminary diagnosis was in favor of a
dentigerous cyst. The treatment was to extract the deciduous teeth and to use a sterile tube for
decompression. The patient was followed up for 5 years, a complete remission of the
cyst was observed and the teeth #33, #34, and #35 re-erupted normally on the mandibular arch.