Assessment of Digital Intraoral Periapical Radiograph for the Detection of Apical Root Resorption in Inflammatory...

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Radiology
• Endodontics

Background:

• External inflammatory root resorption is often linked to apical periodontitis or cysts.
• Severe apical root resorption can compromise endodontic treatment success.
• Early diagnosis of incipient root resorption is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of digital intraoral periapical radiographs.
• To assess apical root resorption (ARR) in teeth with periapical pathologies.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional radiographic observational study was conducted in India.
• 190 patients with inflammatory periapical pathologies had their teeth examined using Radiovisiography (RVG).
• Radiographic findings were compared with histological analysis of extracted teeth.

Main Results:

• A higher proportion of severe root resorption was observed in cases of abscess and periapical granuloma compared to apical periodontitis.
• The difference in resorption types across the three diagnostic groups was statistically significant (p=0.0058).

Conclusions:

• Digital intraoral periapical radiographs are effective tools for diagnosing periapical pathologies.
• These radiographs accurately identify apical root resorption associated with periapical conditions.