Pre-eruptive intracoronal resorption of a permanent first molar

For the last 70 years, the phenomenon of pre-eruptive intracoronal resorption (PIR) has been described in the literature, including a number of case reports illustrating the challenges clinicians face in diagnosing and managing these resorptive defects. Pre-eruptively affected teeth can be difficult to access and posteruptively they are difficult to diagnose because the defects resemble caries. Many times, these defects are not detected until after eruption, when the majority are diagnosed as dental decay and teeth are often subjected to surgical tooth restoration. The purposes of this paper are to report a case of nonprogressive PIR that was detected early, treated with a preventive glass ionomer sealant, and monitored for 44 months, and to propose an alternative approach to management of nonprogressive defects that may help preserve tooth structure.