Correlation between occlusal contact and root resorption in teeth with periodontal disease.
OBJECTIVE
The present study was designed to investigate the influence of occlusal forces on radicular resorption in teeth with periodontal disease. The occlusal forces are a cause in the aggravation of the periodontal disease and therefore influences in the increase the extension and the depth of the radicular resorption.


METHODS
We quantified radicular resorption, its extension across the radicular surface and its depth, in 88 teeth with periodontal disease with and without occlusal contact, pertaining to patients between 43 and 91 years of age. A histological method was used to obtain 6-μm-thick sections. The sections were observed under an Olympus BX40 optical microscope and processed by an image analysis program. Measurements of length and area were used to calculate the percentages of surface and volume of cement reabsorbed.


RESULTS
In both groups presenting periodontal pathology (groups 2 and 3) the percentages of the surface and volume of reabsorbed cement were greater in those teeth with antagonist contact. The greatest percentages of radicular resorption were observed in teeth of group 3 showing antagonism.


CONCLUSIONS
The severity of periodontal disease increases the extension and the depth of the radicular resorption, and the presence of antagonist forces aggravates the resorption.
Department of Morphological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
E
E
Crespo Vázquez
A
A
Crespo Abelleira
J M
JM
Suárez Quintanilla
M A
MA
Rodriguez Cobos
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001732:Bite Force; D003739:Dental Cementum / Q000473:pathology; D003769:Dental Occlusion, Traumatic / Q000150:complications*; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008875:Middle Aged; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D012391:Root Resorption / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric