title: The influence of endodontic infection on progression of marginal bone loss in periodontitis.
abstract: The purpose of the present investigation was to determine magnitude and rate of proximal radiographic attachment loss in relation to endodontic infection in periodontally involved teeth. The investigation was conducted as a retrospective longitudinal study on a periodontitis-prone randomly selected referral population, including 175 single-rooted, root-filled teeth in 133 patients. An observation period of at least 3 years was required. Periapical conditions of the selected sample at baseline and re-examination were evaluated on radiographs, independently by 3 investigators. Each single-rooted, root-filled tooth of the sample was given a score according to the combined registrations. Radiographic attachment level was measured as the distance between the most coronal point of the alveolar bone and the apex at the mesial and distal sides of the tooth, and expressed as relative radiographic attachment level (RRAL) (radiographic attachment level at baseline/root length) at proximal sites for every tooth. Multiple regression analysis was used to study change in RRAL over time. Teeth in periodontitis-prone patients with progressing periapical pathology indicating a continuous root canal infection were found to lose comparatively more radiographic attachment than teeth with no signs of periapical pathology or teeth with an established periapical destruction which subsided during the observation period. An approximate 3-fold amplification of the rate of marginal proximal radiographic bone loss by endodontic infection in periodontitis-prone patients was found with an average 0.19 mm/year, while 0.06 mm/year was lost for teeth without endodontic infection or subsiding endodontic involvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Public Dental Service at Skanstull, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jansson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ehnevid
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lindskog
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blomlöf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications*; D003739:Dental Cementum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003788:Dental Pulp Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010483:Periapical Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications*; D011859:Radiography; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012390:Root Canal Therapy; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging