Dr. Juan Yepes, of the Indiana University School of Dentistry and Riley Hospital for Children, provides case studies that offer valuable continuing education. DrBicuspid.com's top five cases of 2020 included a baby with a rare alveolar ridge, patients with gum lesions, and more.
Here are the top five case studies from 2020:
- 1-day-old newborn with unusual alveolar ridge
A baby born preterm at 31 weeks of gestation was at the neonatal intensive care unit for ventilatory support. The physician noted something at the inferior alveolar ridge and requested a consultation with the pediatric dentistry service. - 30-year-old man with limited mouth opening
A man presented to the dentist complaining about progressive limitations of his mouth opening. The patient stated that the limitation of the mouth opening was present since childhood and had progressed gradually over the years. His past medical history was unremarkable. An intraoral scan revealed a significant restriction of the mouth opening (21-mm interincisal space). - 9-year-old girl with gum lesions, mild fever, appetite loss
A 9-year-old girl was seen at the emergency department of a local hospital, referred by a family dentist. The patient's mom told the hospital physician that her daughter had not been feeling well for about a week. She thought the girl had a viral infection. The patient was experiencing mild fever, was not eating and sleeping well, and was not as active as usual. Three days prior to visiting the emergency room, the mom noted some lesions in the girl's gums and took her to the family dentist. The family dentist evaluated the patient and sent her immediately to the hospital for evaluation and treatment. An extraoral exam revealed painless bilateral lymphadenopathy below the mandibular angle, and an intraoral exam showed painless, soft, bilateral maxillary gingival overgrowth. - 11-month-old girl with sores on upper gums
A healthy 11-month-old girl who had sores on her upper gums was taken to the emergency room at a local children's hospital. Her parents said the sores began as a small "white bump" about one week prior. Initially, the parents presumed it was an erupting tooth. In the prior 24 hours, the patient had a low-grade fever (99Ëš F), was irritable, and was not eating/nursing well. The patient was putting everything in her mouth, but the parents couldn't think of anything new that would have triggered an allergic reaction. An intraoral exam revealed that the girl had areas of erythema and ulceration at the left maxilla. - 4-year-old boy with left-sided facial swelling
A boy who had swelling on the left side of his face presented with his mom and sister to the children's hospital emergency room. The patient had been seen that morning in the operating room for full-mouth dental rehabilitation under general anesthesia. The dental treatment consisted of multiple stainless-steel crowns and no extractions. The mother called the dentist in the early afternoon and said her son had swelling on the left side of the face, involving the eye. She was instructed to take her son to the emergency room. The extraoral examination found swelling from the inferior border of the eye to the anterior portion of the neck. Crepitus was noted on palpation of the left inferior border of the mandible and left submandibular area.
