Pre-eruptive intra-coronal resorption of dentine: a review of aetiology, diagnosis, and management.

AIM: To discuss prevalence, characteristics, aetiology and pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of pre-eruptive intra-coronal radiolucency/resorption (PEIR) defects, and to highlight the clinical significance of PEIR. METHODS: A literature research from Pubmed Medline database was adopted to identify the relevant published articles related to PEIR using keyword search strategy; other papers were obtained through searching the reference lists. Significant findings were summarised and presented in this review. RESULTS: Subject prevalence was (0.2-27.3%) and tooth prevalence was (0.2-3.5%); depending on factors such as type of radiograph used for assessment, demographic factors, age range included, and dentition stage. Currently, the most acceptable etiologic theory for PEIR is intra-coronal resorption by invasion of resorptive cells into forming dentine via an interruption of crown formation; most likely to be caused by local factors such as ectopic position of affected tooth or adjacent tooth next to it. Diagnosis of PEIR lesions occurs, as they are noted incidentally on routine dental radiographs of unerupted teeth. A management protocol for PEIR defects has been suggested based on the literature. The clinical significance of these lesions is that they could constitute a large proportion of occult caries, and can be associated with developmental defects, ectopic positioning and supernumerary teeth, and a delay in dental development. CONCLUSIONS: Early diagnosis of PEIR defects by careful viewing of radiographs of unerupted teeth is important as part of clinical examinations to allow early treatment.

Pre-eruptive intracoronal dentine radiolucencies in the permanent dentition of Jordanian children.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of pre-eruptive intracoronal dentine radiolucencies (PEIR) and subject factors or dental conditions associated with PEIR from orthopantograms (OPGs) in unerupted permanent teeth of children. METHODS: OPGs were evaluated for 1,571 subjects (807 males, 764 females) with mean age (8.72 ± 2.5) years. Unerupted permanent teeth prior to emergence into the oral cavity were assessed. The Chi square test was used to determine statistical differences between the group showing and the group not showing the defect with regards to sex, stage of dental development, presence of developmental anomalies, and condition of primary predecessor teeth. RESULTS: Prevalence was (8.1%) by subject and (0.62%) by teeth. All subjects showed only one affected tooth per subject with no significant gender differences. The highest prevalence was in mandibular first premolars (3.02%). Most defects were noted in the mixed dentition stage (89.06%), mainly in the mandible (79.7%) as single lesions at a mesial location intracoronally, and a size of less than one-third of dentine thickness in (50%). Among all variables examined, PEIR defects were significantly associated with mixed dentition stage (p = 0.000) and decayed/filled primary predecessor teeth (p = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: PEIR defects occur at a significant prevalence rate in unerupted teeth. Increased awareness and careful radiographic examination of unerupted teeth may improve early detection and treatment of PEIR defects in children.