Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term status of incisors with canine-induced root resorption (CIRR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects with impacted maxillary canines (IMC) and persisting incisors with CIRR examined with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), diagnosed ≥ 5 years earlier, were recalled. The resorption grade in the horizontal and vertical plane was assessed on CBCT images at baseline (T0) and follow-up (T1). Clinical examination was done at T1 which included probing depth, gingival retraction, mobility, ankylosis, discoloration and vitality test. In addition, patients completed a questionnaire regarding symptoms from the incisors. RESULTS: Forty subjects (mean age 13.7 ± 2.1 years) with 43 IMC and 47 incisors with CIRR were recruited. The IMC either spontaneously erupted, were surgically exposed or surgically removed. Thirty-four of the patients were treated with a fixed appliance and six had no orthodontic treatment. The follow-up range was 5.5-14.6 years. None of the incisors were lost or endodontically treated at T1. The horizontal resorption grade was unchanged in 38, improved in 7, and worsened in 2 teeth. The corresponding results for the vertical resorption grade were unchanged in 20 and worsened in 27 teeth. Three incisors with severe horizontal resorption at T0 were significantly more obliterated at T1 (P = .01). No significant differences were found in clinical parameters or patient-reported outcomes between incisors with CIRR and non-resorbed contralateral incisors at T1. LIMITATIONS: The extent of root resorption during active orthodontic treatment was not possible to assess as only CBCT images from T0 and T1 were available. CONCLUSION: Incisors with CIRR caused by IMC have a high survival rate in a long-term perspective and do not cause more symptoms or exhibit more signs of pathology than non-resorbed contralateral incisors. Extraction of asymptomatic incisors based solely on root resorption should not be performed routinely.