Thesis (M.D.S. 1979) from the Department of Dental Health, University of Adelaide.

Information on dental resorption first appeared in the literature in an 1829 textbook by Thomas Bell. What first was mistaken as bone tumor and known as “absorption,” continues to be one of the most challenging and mysterious phenomena dental clinicians have had to address. Over the past years, there has been a dramatic increase in reports of resorption in the literature, which have aided in the understanding of the condition and its treatments. Resorption is identified by an increase in osteoclastic cell activity that causes a loss of hard dental tissues. As a physiological process, root resorption helps with the eruption and exfoliation of primary teeth. In adults, resorption is of pathological nature. Resorption can happen both internally and externally. External resorption is a much more common occurrence in dentistry than its counterpart, internal resorption, and involves the external aspect of the tooth. External resorption has been subclassified into external inflammatory resorption, external replacement resorption, external cervical resorption, external surface resorption, and transient apical breakdown. Internal resorption is more unusual and more challenging to diagnose and affects the tooth’s pulp chamber and/or its root canal. Internal resorption has been sub-classified as internal inflammatory resorption and internal replacement resorption. Descriptions of the various forms of resorption are numerous in the literature and have become available due to case studies, clinical presentations and treatment options. From trauma, to prolonged orthodontic treatment, to viruses, to genetic and idiopathic factors, there is a variety of possible etiologic causes of both kinds of resorptions that are central to the understanding and treatment of this condition. Despite the many advances in the field, however, there are still gaps in the processes leading to resorption lesions that remain to be elucidated. If OPG and RANKL are the major culprits in initiating resorption, being able to arrest these molecules or transcription factors, such as c-fos and NFkB or identifying genetic propensities for resorption with a BRCA-like test seem to be research goals which may translate into the prevention of resorption as well as identifying how a physiological process essential to survival transforms into a pathological condition. Additionally and equally important, when resorption is suspected, there is the need for a thorough examination of the oral cavity and a proper understanding of the underlying pathogenesis for its clinical management. Depending on the extent of the lesion, resorption can be arrested by a variety of endodontic treatments that often include root canals or more complex surgical procedures, such as muco-periosteal flaps that allow the access to the resorptive lesion and the excavation of the granulomatous tissue in the tooth. Moreover, composite, sodium hypochlorite or calcium hydroxide are also employed as treatment/ preventive options as well as breaks in orthodontic procedures to eliminate pressure forces that contribute to and/or cause resorption, pulpectomy, careful monitoring, among others. Whether external or internal resorption, the condition can be treated with high rate of success if caught early. Without intervention, resorption leads to tooth loss.

A reabsorção radicular é um evento fisiológico para os dentes decíduos. Porém, há casos em que esses dentes são mantidos à cavidade bucal além do tempo de esfoliação normal, mesmo quando os dentes permanentes sucessores estão presentes. Como são escassos os dados disponíveis sobre a real causa da retenção prolongada dos dentes decíduos, as razões exatas merecem ser investigadas. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar se fatores locais (RANKL, RANK, OPG, MCP-1, RUNX2) ou sistêmicos (vitamina D, PTH, IGF-I) poderiam estar relacionados à biologia óssea e radicular em casos de retenção prolongada de dentes decíduos, com presença dos dentes permanentes correspondentes in situ, a fim de se buscar compreender possíveis etiologias do quadro. Para isso, foram selecionados pacientes com dentes decíduos em retenções prolongadas (n=14, grupo R) e pacientes sem dentes decíduos retidos (n=14, grupo C), mas com indicações ortodônticas de exodontias. Após as extrações dentais, foram coletados remanescentes do ligamento periodontal em torno das raízes dentais e amostras de sangue dos pacientes, que foram avaliados por qPCR e quimioluminescência, respectivamente. Houve diferença estatisticamente significante para RANKL (p=0,023) entre os grupos C e R, com menor expressão gênica de RANKL no grupo R. Da mesma forma, foi observada uma menor expressão de RANK no grupo R, comparado ao grupo C; contudo, essa diferença não foi significativamente diferente. Houve também um resultado próximo do valor de significância para vitamina D (p=0,0572), com níveis séricos reduzidos dessa vitamina no grupo R. Não houve diferenças estatisticamente significantes entre os grupos para os outros fatores estudados. Com base nos dados deste estudo, pode-se sugerir que menores expressões de RANKL e RANK possam estar envolvidas na retenção prolongada de dentes decíduos e que baixos níveis séricos de vitamina D também possam estar associados com o retardo na esfoliação radicular decídua. / Root resorption is a physiological event for primary teeth. However, there are cases where these teeth are maintained beyond the normal exfoliation time, even when the corresponding permanent teeth is present. Since there are few data concerning the real cause of prolonged retention of primary teeth, the exact reasons must be investigated. The aim of this study was to assess if local factors like RANKL, RANK, OPG, MCP-1, RUNX2, or systemic factors such as vitamin D, PTH and IGF-I could to be involve in the bone and root biology, in cases of persistent primary teeth, with the corresponding permanent teeth in situ. Patients with persistent primary teeth (n=14, group R) and patients without persistent primary teeth (n=14, group C), but with orthodontic indication of tooth extraction, were selected. After the teeth extractions, remaining periodontal ligament around the roots and blood samples were collected and assessed by qPCR and chemiluminescence, respectively. The present study found significant lower level of RANKL in the group R compared to group C (p=0,023). Although it was not significantly different, the level of RANK was also reduced in group R compared to group C. The expression of others local factors was similar between group R and C. Concernig systemic factors, the serum level of vitamin D were reduced in the group R compared to group C (p=0,0572) although it was not statistically significant. There were no significant differences between both groups for the others systemic studied factors. It is possible that a lower RANKL and RANK expression is involved in prolonged retention of primary teeth and our data also suggest that low serum levels of vitamin D could also be involved in the etiology of the retention.

A reabsorção radicular é um evento fisiológico para os dentes decíduos. Porém, há casos em que esses dentes são mantidos à cavidade bucal além do tempo de esfoliação normal, mesmo quando os dentes permanentes sucessores estão presentes. Como são escassos os dados disponíveis sobre a real causa da retenção prolongada dos dentes decíduos, as razões exatas merecem ser investigadas. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar se fatores locais (RANKL, RANK, OPG, MCP-1, RUNX2) ou sistêmicos (vitamina D, PTH, IGF-I) poderiam estar relacionados à biologia óssea e radicular em casos de retenção prolongada de dentes decíduos, com presença dos dentes permanentes correspondentes in situ, a fim de se buscar compreender possíveis etiologias do quadro. Para isso, foram selecionados pacientes com dentes decíduos em retenções prolongadas (n=14, grupo R) e pacientes sem dentes decíduos retidos (n=14, grupo C), mas com indicações ortodônticas de exodontias. Após as extrações dentais, foram coletados remanescentes do ligamento periodontal em torno das raízes dentais e amostras de sangue dos pacientes, que foram avaliados por qPCR e quimioluminescência, respectivamente. Houve diferença estatisticamente significante para RANKL (p=0,023) entre os grupos C e R, com menor expressão gênica de RANKL no grupo R. Da mesma forma, foi observada uma menor expressão de RANK no grupo R, comparado ao grupo C; contudo, essa diferença não foi significativamente diferente. Houve também um resultado próximo do valor de significância para vitamina D (p=0,0572), com níveis séricos reduzidos dessa vitamina no grupo R. Não houve diferenças estatisticamente significantes entre os grupos para os outros fatores estudados. Com base nos dados deste estudo, pode-se sugerir que menores expressões de RANKL e RANK possam estar envolvidas na retenção prolongada de dentes decíduos e que baixos níveis séricos de vitamina D também possam estar associados com o retardo na esfoliação radicular decídua. / Root resorption is a physiological event for primary teeth. However, there are cases where these teeth are maintained beyond the normal exfoliation time, even when the corresponding permanent teeth is present. Since there are few data concerning the real cause of prolonged retention of primary teeth, the exact reasons must be investigated. The aim of this study was to assess if local factors like RANKL, RANK, OPG, MCP-1, RUNX2, or systemic factors such as vitamin D, PTH and IGF-I could to be involve in the bone and root biology, in cases of persistent primary teeth, with the corresponding permanent teeth in situ. Patients with persistent primary teeth (n=14, group R) and patients without persistent primary teeth (n=14, group C), but with orthodontic indication of tooth extraction, were selected. After the teeth extractions, remaining periodontal ligament around the roots and blood samples were collected and assessed by qPCR and chemiluminescence, respectively. The present study found significant lower level of RANKL in the group R compared to group C (p=0,023). Although it was not significantly different, the level of RANK was also reduced in group R compared to group C. The expression of others local factors was similar between group R and C. Concernig systemic factors, the serum level of vitamin D were reduced in the group R compared to group C (p=0,0572) although it was not statistically significant. There were no significant differences between both groups for the others systemic studied factors. It is possible that a lower RANKL and RANK expression is involved in prolonged retention of primary teeth and our data also suggest that low serum levels of vitamin D could also be involved in the etiology of the retention.