Case challenge: the case of the missing root tip.

A 43-year old female had her left maxillary first molar removed by her dentist. Upon examining the tooth following the extraction, he discovered the distobuccal root was fractured. Inspection of the extraction site revealed the missing root remained in its alveolus. When attempts were made to remove the root, it suddenly disappeared. To our knowledge, no further efforts were made to locate the root. In the ensuing weeks, the patient's dentist inserted a three-unit bridge to fill the space created by the removal of the first molar. Two months after the extraction, the patient was referred to the Department of Oral Radiology at the University of Lund, Sweden, with a request for help in locating the lost root.