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Book

Apical Periodontitis

Ahren Blake  1 , Travis Tuttle  2 , Reed McKinney  3
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan.
.
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Book

Apical Periodontitis

Ahren Blake et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Apical periodontitis is the local inflammation of the periapical tissues that originate from pulp disease. It may occur due to the advancement of dental caries, trauma, or operative dental procedures. The infected pulp is the main cause of apical periodontitis. The host defense response to pathogenic microbes is what triggers inflammation and the consequent destruction of periradicular tissues.

Apical diseases can manifest with various clinical presentations, ranging from no obvious clinical signs or symptoms to severe destruction of the underlying bone, with or without a draining abscess. Therefore, proper identification, diagnosis, and treatment of apical diseases can prevent severe clinical signs and symptoms.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Ahren Blake declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Travis Tuttle declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Reed McKinney declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

    1. Meirinhos J, Martins JNR, Pereira B, Baruwa A, Gouveia J, Quaresma SA, Monroe A, Ginjeira A. Prevalence of apical periodontitis and its association with previous root canal treatment, root canal filling length and type of coronal restoration - a cross-sectional study. Int Endod J. 2020 Apr;53(4):573-584. - PubMed
    1. Sasaki H, Hirai K, Martins CM, Furusho H, Battaglino R, Hashimoto K. Interrelationship Between Periapical Lesion and Systemic Metabolic Disorders. Curr Pharm Des. 2016;22(15):2204-15. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gomes BPFA, Herrera DR. Etiologic role of root canal infection in apical periodontitis and its relationship with clinical symptomatology. Braz Oral Res. 2018 Oct 18;32(suppl 1):e69. - PubMed
    1. Smith AJ. Pulpal responses to caries and dental repair. Caries Res. 2002 Jul-Aug;36(4):223-32. - PubMed
    1. Levin LG, Law AS, Holland GR, Abbott PV, Roda RS. Identify and define all diagnostic terms for pulpal health and disease states. J Endod. 2009 Dec;35(12):1645-57. - PubMed

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