A comparison of the use of cone-beam computed tomography and panoramic radiography in the assessment of pre-eruptive intracoronal resorption.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of pre-eruptive intracoronal resorption (PIR) using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and panoramic radiography and to compare the findings of these imaging techniques.

METHODS: This retrospective study consisted of 733 patients who had at least one unerupted tooth and had undergoneimaging with both three-dimensional (3D) CBCT and two-dimensional (2D) panoramic radiography. In all the images, the number of teeth with intracoronal resorption, affected tooth type and number, and size and location of the PIR defects were recorded. The McNemar test was used to compare the prevalence of PIR in the CBCT and panoramic images.

RESULTS: Fewer PIR defects were detected in the panoramic images (3.1% of the patients) than in the CBCT images (9.5% of the patients) (p< .001). According to the CBCT images, the distribution of PIR defects was as follows: third molars (59.5%), canine teeth (11.4%), second molars and premolars (7.6% for both), supernumerary teeth (5.1%), second molars (3.8%), central incisors (2.5%), and first premolar and primary second molar teeth (1.5% for both). According to the scoring classification system for PIR defects, PIR 1 defects were the most common (65.8%), followed by PIR 3 (24.1%) and PIR 2 (10.1%). Of these defects, 69.6% were located in the central aspect of the crown. Ectopically positioned teeth showing intracoronal resorption accounted for 51.9% of the cases of PIR.

CONCLUSIONS: CBCT detected more cases of PIR than panoramic radiography. The mandibular third permanent molar was the most commonly affected tooth.