(PR114) External Cervical Resorption: An Observational Retrospective Study

External Cervical Resorption (ECR) has been described as the loss of hard dental tissues beginning in the cervical region of the tooth. ECR is often undetected clinically and radiographically. Although there are no guidelines on management of ECR, a lower Heithersay Classification or Patel classification correlates to a better outcome. Therefore, it is prudent to investigate the diagnostic factors that may contribute to early detection. This table clinic examines the prevalence and characteristics of ECR within a university clinic setting. This study analyzes various characteristics and interventions for any possible associations and interactions that may affect outcomes.

Methods: Patient electronic health records were used with IRB approval examining variables that may be associated with the outcome of treatment. The patient factors included age, gender, and jaw; tooth factors including tooth number, pulpal and periapical status; and resorptive characteristics including 2D, 3D classification were collected. Any treatment rendered was collected in each case.

Results: Twenty-eight cases of ECR were identified from the 5183 CBCTs taken from 2016-2023, yielding a prevalence of 0.54%. The average age was 50 years with no gender predilection. The most common teeth with ECR were maxillary anterior teeth with normal pulpal and periapical status. The most common classification was Heithersay-Class II and Patel-Class 2. Majority of the lesions were confined to 1800 circumferentially with 57% of the lesions not involving pulp.

Conclusions: The use of CBCT has enabled early detection and intervention. Maxillary anterior teeth show the highest prevalence of ECR and should be examined.