[Dental ankylosis diagnosed by CT with tridimensional reconstructions]

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Radiology

Background:

• The etiology of unerupted teeth is often multifactorial, including developmental, anatomical, pathological, and ankylosis-related factors.
• Diagnosing ankylosis, a fusion of tooth cementum or dentin with alveolar bone, presents significant clinical challenges.
• Conventional clinical and radiographic assessments are frequently unreliable for definitive ankylosis diagnosis in unerupted teeth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) with 3D reconstruction for identifying ankylosis in unerupted or retained teeth.
• To determine the accuracy of CBCT in measuring the extent and location of ankylosis compared to traditional methods.

Main Methods:

• A clinical series of 15 patients with unerupted or retained teeth of undetermined etiology or traction failure were analyzed.
• Diagnosis was attempted using clinical evaluation and standard radiographic techniques (dental radiographs, orthopantomogram).
• Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging with source and tridimensional reconstructed images evaluated using MVS software was employed for definitive diagnosis.

Main Results:

• Clinical and conventional radiographic evaluations were insufficient for diagnosing ankylosis in the studied cases.
• CBCT imaging, including tridimensional reconstructions, successfully identified and confirmed ankylosis in all 15 patients.
• The radicular volume affected by ankylosis and its precise location on the tooth were accurately measurable using CBCT.

Conclusions:

• Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) with tridimensional reconstruction is a highly effective imaging modality for the positive diagnosis of ankylosis in unerupted teeth.
• This advanced imaging technique overcomes the limitations of traditional diagnostic methods, enabling precise assessment of ankylosis extent and location.