Radiographic Evaluation of Regenerative Endodontic Procedures and Apexification Treatments with the Assessment of External Root Resorption

Introduction

This multicentered cohort study evaluated the radiographic outcomes of regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs) and apexification treatments (APEX) of immature teeth with endodontic disease.

Materials and Methods

This cohort study included a retrospective record review and prospective data collection of pediatric patients with teeth treated with REPs or APEX between 2005 and 2014. Data including the presence of a periapical lesion, external root resorption, obliteration, apical hard tissue, apical closure, intracanal calcifications, and radiographic root area (RRA) change based on measurements were collected/measured from radiographic images. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted.

Results

The cohort included 190 subjects (204 teeth (92 REPs; 112 APEX)). The frequency of pretreatment periapical pathology was similar between cases in which the clinical treatment failed versus successful treatment cases. However, the frequency of pretreatment external root resorption was higher in failed cases than in successful cases (P = .007). The mean RRA change was greater than twenty percent in 21% of the REPs cases. In traumatized teeth, REPs resulted in less hard tissue formation than other endodontic disease etiologies measured by RRA (P = .001). Fifty-three percent of cases with ERR (16/30) showed signs of healing/arrest and were mostly treated with REPs (11/16).

Conclusions

The presence of ERR negatively affected the treatment outcome. There was significant variability in RRA change in REPs. Signs of healing/arrest of the resorptive lesion were radiographically visible in many cases treated with REPs.