COMPARATIVE STUDY OF NORMAL DENTAL ROOTS AND ROOTS WITH NON-APICAL CEMENTUM FORMATIONS.

Secondary cementum on the root apex deposits slowly and continuously during the useful life of the tooth, and its function is to compensate the wear caused by chewing. Sometimes an excess round or oval-shaped cementum deposit is observed, well defined and hard to the touch, located in a sector of the root other than the apex. The aim was to compare the physical and radiological characteristics of normal dental roots with those that present this type of formations that alter root anatomy. Twenty adult teeth with normal roots and twenty with roots where these deposits had been observed were included. Patients contributed information about their age, gender, general pathology and previous periodontal condition, inquiries were made on type of tooth extracted, location in the dental arch, reason for the extraction, characteristics such as constitution, color, aspect and texture of all the roots. The radiological image was crucial for the inclusion of teeth with excess cementum. Data was analyzed with Student-Fisher Test t with a 5% significance level.
Average age of the groups was 55±18 and 61±16, and the ratio of males was 60% and 25%. General pathology was present in 37.5% and periodontal in 55%; the more frequently extracted teeth were upper premolars on the right side (15%). Cavities were the main reason for extraction (72.5%). In both groups roots were hard with a smooth texture. Pearly aspect in 70% and 60% of the cases, light color in 45% and 75%, respectively. X-ray showed that cementum didn’t differ from dentin in 40% and 85% in each group (p=0.004). Adults may develop cementum anomalies located in another sector of the apex, even when the physical characteristics of the roots are within normal parameters.