Idiopathic root resorption: Report of a case

Abstract

A ccording to Shafer, Hine, and Levy,l root resorption of permanent teeth can be attributed to a wide variety of causes, such as periapical inflammation, reimplantation of teeth, tumors and cysts, excessive mechanical or occlusal stresses, impaction of teeth, and idiopathic resorption. Stafne and Slocumb2 have presented data indicating that the maxillary and mandibular central incisors are most frequently involved by idiopathic root resorption. According to the data of Massler and Perreault,3 the teeth most commonly involved by root resorption were the maxillary premolars, whereas the mandibular incisors and molars exhibited the least resorption. Of the 179 cases reported by Stafne and Slocumb,* only nineteen showed the involvement of more than one tooth by idio’pathic root resorption. In seventeen cases two teeth were involved, and in two cases three teeth were involved ; furthermore, the maxillary molars were not found to be affected by idiopathic root resorption. Sachs4 has reported a case in which a right maxillary molar and bilateral mandibular molars were involved. Because cases of idiopathic root resorption have rarely been reported, it is the purpose of this article to add au additional case to the literature.