IADR Abstract Archives
External Apical Root Resorption in African American Orthodontic Patients
Objectives: External Apical Root Resorption (EARR), a multifactorial disorder that results in permanent loss of root structures, is a serious side effect of orthodontic treatment. Both treatment and patient specific factors contribute to EARR and its prevalence is not well documented in all populations. Since African Americans represent the largest minority group in the United States, establishing the prevalence and risk factors for EARR within this ethnicity is important. Objective: To determine the prevalence of EARR in African Americans and identify factors increasing the susceptibility to this disorder.
Methods: Orthodontic records of 336 African American patients (199 females and 137 males) were analyzed. Patients with craniofacial syndromes, trauma, prior orthodontic treatment, evidence of open apexes and lack of visible radiographic landmarks were excluded. Crown heights and root lengths of maxillary incisors were measured using Dolphin Imaging System. EARR was recorded when root shortening of 2mm or more occurred after orthodontic treatment. Patients with loss of at least 20% or more than 1/3 of radicular structures were diagnosed with moderate or severe EARR, respectively. The Pearson chi-square test was used to calculate the effects of individual patient-related (age, gender, skeletal and dental classification, incisor proclination and overjet) and treatment-related (type and time) factors on EARR.
Results: The overall EARR prevalence was 51.8%. Moderate resorption was seen in 29.8% while severe EARR was observed in 3.9% of the patients. There was no statistically significance difference in the prevalence of maxillary lateral versus central incisors. We also found no significant associations between the patient and treatment specific variables and EARR.
Conclusions: We established for the first time EARR prevalence in African Americans and identified no significant correlations between EARR and the different variables investigated. Thus, other factors, such as genetics, should also be considered in association with EARR pathology.
Methods: Orthodontic records of 336 African American patients (199 females and 137 males) were analyzed. Patients with craniofacial syndromes, trauma, prior orthodontic treatment, evidence of open apexes and lack of visible radiographic landmarks were excluded. Crown heights and root lengths of maxillary incisors were measured using Dolphin Imaging System. EARR was recorded when root shortening of 2mm or more occurred after orthodontic treatment. Patients with loss of at least 20% or more than 1/3 of radicular structures were diagnosed with moderate or severe EARR, respectively. The Pearson chi-square test was used to calculate the effects of individual patient-related (age, gender, skeletal and dental classification, incisor proclination and overjet) and treatment-related (type and time) factors on EARR.
Results: The overall EARR prevalence was 51.8%. Moderate resorption was seen in 29.8% while severe EARR was observed in 3.9% of the patients. There was no statistically significance difference in the prevalence of maxillary lateral versus central incisors. We also found no significant associations between the patient and treatment specific variables and EARR.
Conclusions: We established for the first time EARR prevalence in African Americans and identified no significant correlations between EARR and the different variables investigated. Thus, other factors, such as genetics, should also be considered in association with EARR pathology.