Invasive cervical resorption: an analysis of potential predisposing factors.

OBJECTIVE An investigation was undertaken to assess potential predisposing factors to invasive cervical resorption. METHOD AND MATERIALS A group of 222 patients with a total of 257 teeth displaying varying degrees of invasive cervical resorption were analyzed. Potential predisposing factors, including trauma, intracoronal bleaching, surgery, orthodontics, periodontal root scaling or planing, bruxism, delayed eruption, developmental defects, and restorations were assessed from the patients' history and oral examination. RESULTS Of the potential predisposing factors identified, orthodontics was the most common sole factor, constituting 21.2% of patients and 24.1% of teeth examined. Other factors were present in an additional 5.0% of orthodontically treated patients (4.3% of teeth), and these consisted principally of trauma and/or intracoronal bleaching. Trauma was the second most frequent sole factor (14.0% of patients and 15.1% of teeth). Trauma in combination with intracoronal bleaching, orthodontics, or delayed eruption constituted an additional 11.2% of patients (10.6% of teeth). Intracoronal bleaching was found to be the sole potential predisposing factor in 4.5% of patients and 3.9% of teeth, and an additional 10.4% of patients and 9.7% of teeth showed a combination of intracoronal bleaching with trauma and/or orthodontics. Surgery, particularly involving the cementoenamel junction area, was a sole potential predisposing factor in 6.3% of patients and 5.4% of teeth. Periodontal therapy, including deep root scaling and planing, showed a low incidence, as did other factors, such as bruxism and developmental defects. The presence of an intracoronal restoration was the only identifiable factor in 15.3% of patients and 14.4% of teeth, while 15.0% of patients and 16.4% of teeth showed no identifiable potential pedisposing factors. CONCLUSION These results indicated a strong association between invasive cervical resorption and orthodontic treatment, trauma, and intracoronal bleaching, either alone or in combination.