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External apical root resorption in African American orthodontic patients
Frank E Litchfield1, Robert A Oster2, Chung How Kau1
1Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.
European Journal of Orthodontics
|October 18, 2023
Summary
Over half of African American patients undergoing orthodontic treatment experience external apical root resorption (EARR). However, patient and treatment factors did not significantly correlate with EARR risk in this population.
Area of Science:
- Orthodontics
- Dental Radiology
- Periodontology
Background:
- External apical root resorption (EARR) is a known complication of orthodontic treatment.
- The prevalence and contributing factors of EARR in African Americans remain understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of EARR in African American patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.
- To investigate patient and treatment-related factors associated with EARR in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 336 African American patients' records.
- Measurement of EARR using pre- and post-treatment panoramic radiographs via Dolphin Imaging software.
- Statistical evaluation using the Pearson chi-square test to assess correlations.
Main Results:
- A prevalence of 51.8% for EARR (≥2 mm root structure loss) was observed.
- 29.8% of patients showed moderate EARR (≥20% root structure loss).
- Severe EARR (≥50% root structure loss) was rare (0.3%).
Conclusions:
- More than half of African American patients experience at least 2 mm of root resorption post-orthodontic treatment.
- No statistically significant correlation was found between patient-specific factors (age, gender, malocclusion, skeletal class) and EARR risk.
- Treatment-specific factors also did not show a significant association with EARR development in this ethnic group.
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