Resumen de Root Resorption in Chronic Periodontitis:: A Morphometrical Study
Background: It has been previously observed that teeth with severe chronic periodontitis experience more transient external root resorptions than teeth with less severe disease.
Methods: Sixty-six teeth diagnosed with different levels of chronic periodontitis in 48 patients were observed with a light microscope. Main characteristics of teeth with root resorptions, as well as percentages of area and volume resorbed on each radicular third of the teeth, were determined.
Results: Over 80% (53) of the teeth exhibited resorption: 46.67% in group 1 (slight periodontitis); 85% in group 2 (moderate periodontitis); and 93.55% in group 3 (severe periodontitis). In group 1, the average resorption length was 295.65 μm and the average area, 11,212.45 μm2. In group 2 these measures were 519.09 and 25,678.102, respectively. In group 3, the average length was 675.95 μm, and the average area 36,925.06 μm2. Except for the resorbed volume on the apical third, the other resorption percentages were higher in group 3 (severe periodontitis) and smaller in the group 1 (slight periodontitis), but the location of the largest resorption percentages varied among the three groups.
Conclusions: The severity of periodontitis plays a major role in the presence and extent of transient external root resorption. In the three groups, most of the teeth showed resorptions on the apical third, but severity of periodontitis determined the location of the largest percentages of area and volume resorbed. J Periodontol 2004;75:1027-1032.
