Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Sep;83(5):870-6.
doi: 10.2319/090812-716.1. Epub 2013 Jan 23.

Failure of treatment of impacted canines associated with invasive cervical root resorption

Adrian Becker  1 , Itzhak Abramovitz, Stella Chaushu
Affiliations

Failure of treatment of impacted canines associated with invasive cervical root resorption

Adrian Becker et al. Angle Orthod. 2013 Sep.

Abstract

Objectives: To propose invasive cervical root resorption (ICRR) as an unrecognized and/or overlooked etiologic factor in the failure of response of an impacted tooth to orthodontic traction and to underline the importance of cone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) for early and accurate diagnosis of ICRR.

Materials and methods: Fourteen patients (age 13-21 years) with impacted canines (15 canines) that had failed to respond to orthodontic forces and that exhibited ICRR formed the case series for this investigation. The initial diagnosis, treatment, clinical and radiographic expression of failure, and adverse effects on adjacent teeth were analyzed.

Results: Initial diagnosis had been performed on plane radiographs. The orthodontist was absent during surgery in 11 patients. Nine canines had been exposed by open procedures. ICRR was not related to the severity of impaction. Its diagnosis was made on existing radiographs, new films, and/or new CBCT. The severity of the lesions was Class 3 or 4, and the teeth were finally extracted. Loss of anchorage characterized 11 patients. Apical resorption of the roots of adjacent teeth was diagnosed in 9 patients.

Conclusions: ICRR is a frequently undiagnosed or unrecognized cause of failure of orthodontic resolution of impacted canines and should be distinguished from replacement resorption. CBCT should be used for its early detection and accurate assessment of potential damage to adjacent anchor teeth.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
(A) Periapical and (B) panoramic views of a failed impacted canine, showing a distal cervical lesion that has mushroomed inward and extended into the crown.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Views from cone beam CT. (A) Transaxial view (vertical slice) through the impacted canine. (B) Axial view (horizontal slice) showing advanced Class 4 cervical root resorption.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Histologic section of an extracted canine with ICRR. Arrows show extensive resorption lacunae and areas of bone deposition in the CEJ area.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Dachi SF, Howell FV. A survey of 3,874 routine full-mouth radiographs. I. A study of retained roots and teeth. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1961;14:916–924. - PubMed
    1. Brin I, Becker A, Shalhav M. Position of the maxillary permanent canine in relation to anomalous or missing lateral incisors: a population study. Eur J Orthod. 1986;8:12–16. - PubMed
    1. Becker A, Chaushu S. Success rate and duration of orthodontic treatment for adult patients with palatally impacted maxillary canines. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2003;124:509–514. - PubMed
    1. Becker A, Chaushu G, Chaushu S. Analysis of failure in the treatment of impacted maxillary canines. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2010;137:743–754. - PubMed
    1. Becker A. The Orthodontic Treatment of Impacted Teeth 3rd ed. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell; 2012.

LinkOut - more resources