Association Between Maxillary Impacted Canine Position and Root Resorption of the Adjacent Incisors: A CT Study

Abstract

Resorption of permanent maxillary incisors is a common complication of ectopically positioned maxillary canines and when they occur they may drastically increasing both the cost and complexity of the orthodontic treatment, thus early diagnosis and corrective measures are imperative. This study aimed to investigate the association between the maxillary impacted canines labio-palatal and mesio-distal positions and the associated root resorption of adjacent maxillary incisors. Materials and Methods: The sample included 46 patients with an age ranged between 12 and 30 years referred to the CT scan image to detect unilaterally or bilaterally impacted maxillary canines. The mesio-distal position of the canine cusp tip, the labio-palatal position of the impacted canines, contact and root resorption of permanent incisors were evaluated with CT scan image. The association between the impacted canines position and root resorption of permanent incisors were analyzed using Chi square test.Results: Labially and mid-alveolus impacted canines were more common in sectors I and IV, while palatally impacted canines were most frequent in Sector IV. Lateral incisors were more often affected than central incisors by root resorption. Root resorption of permanent incisors showed a high significant association with sector location [p ≤ 0.001] and was observed in sectors III and IV.Conclusions: When canine impactions are suspected in sectors III or IV, CT scan must be considered to disclose suspected incisor resorption.