The changes of root length and form in immature teeth after orthodontic treatment

Kim, Heyon A; Park, Soo Byung

Abstract

Previous studies have focused on the causes of root resorption after orthodontic treatment and treatment methods to reduce this phenomenon, and have been mainly associated with developed, mature roots. As parents become increasingly interested in their children's' dentition, orthodontists are performing fixed orthodontic treatment on patients of less than 10 years and before the completion of the immature root. Thus, the author evaluated the changes of root length and root form of maxillary immature incisors after orthodontic treatment, com-pared with those of mature teeth, and investigated the correlation according to gender, treatment duration, and displacement of incisors. The sample consisted of an immature root group of twenty-eight persons (between 8 and 10 years old) and a mature root group of thirty-one persons (between 11 and 15 years old). The crown and root length of the maxillary four incisors were measured with a periapical radiograph, changes in root length and crown-root ratio were calculated, and root form was classified according to a scoring system. The results were as follows. 1. The development of immature roots was not affected by orthodontic treatment and mostly showed normal root length and apical form. 2. Root length of immature teeth was sustained or became shorter, partially in long treatment duration or with open bite patients. Even though the teeth reached their normal root length, they demonstrated a blunt form. 3. Most of the mature roots showed mild resorption, and the form of mature roots was more blunt than the developed form of the immature roots (p<0.05). 4. The developed form of the immature roots was statistically related to treatment duration, while the form of the mature roots was significantly related to the displacement of incisors (p<0.05). 5. In contrast, other variables such as gender, classification of malocclusion, changes in overbite, and changes of U1 to SN showed no correlation with the root resorption of both groups.