Radiographic attachment in periodontitis-prone teeth with endodontic infection

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the influence of a root canal infection on radiographic attachment. In addition, influence of the quality of the root fillings as well as the size of the periapical radiolucencies were studied. The investigation was conducted as a retrospective study on a consecutive referral population. The periapical conditions in endodontically-involved single-rooted teeth from a selected patient sample were correlated to the periodontal status of the teeth. Teeth with periapical lesions were found to have lost significantly more radiographic attachment, approximately 2 mm. A comparison between pocket depth in teeth with and without periapical pathology consistently showed that periapical pathology was significantly correlated to an increased pocket depth, also after adjusting for differences in radiographic attachment. It was concluded that periodontitis-prone teeth run a significantly higher risk of losing periodontal attachment if a root canal infection is also present and evident as a periapical radiolucency.