Diagnosis and Management of Hidden Caries in a Primary Molar Tooth

Abstract

Hidden caries is a dentinal lesion beneath the dentinoenamel junction, visible on radiographs. A single report described this lesion in primary dentition. This case report describes a case of hidden caries in a mandibular second primary molar, misdiagnosed as malignant swelling. A 3-year-old white girl was referred to the Department of Pediatric Dentistry with a chief complaint of pain and extraoral swelling on the right side of the mandible for the last 3 months. She was earlier referred to the surgical department for biopsy of the lesion. Radiographic and computed tomography scan examination showed a periapical lesion with buccal plate resorption and radiolucency beneath the enamel on the mesial part of tooth 85. The tooth was extracted, and follow-up of 2 years showed normal development of tooth 45. The main problem is early detection and treatment, since the outer surface of enamel may appear intact on tactile examination. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE Gera A, Zilberman U. Diagnosis and Management of Hidden Caries in a Primary Molar Tooth. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2017;10(1):99-102.