Purpose: Apical root resorptions are among the undesirable side effects of orthodontic therapy. The aim of the present study was to investigate radiologically whether and to what extent resorptions occur in patients treated solely with a fixed lingual appliance, as well as the pathogenetic relevance of the extent and direction of the therapeutically induced apical movement.
Patients and methods: The collective comprised 33 female and seven male patients with a mean age of 24.2 +/- 8.4 years. Permanent lower premolars were extracted in five, and permanent upper premolars in 22 patients. In total, 456 upper and lower incisors and canines were assessed. In order to evaluate the relative change in root length and the sagittal and vertical apical movements, pre- and posttherapeutic panoramic radiographs and/or lateral cephalograms were analyzed.
Results: After completion of orthodontic treatment the mean root length was 96.3%, corresponding to a resorption rate of 3.7%. The resorption rates of teeth 11, 12 and 21 differed significantly from those of teeth 31, 32 and 43. Upper incisors presented increased mean resorption rates < or = 10%. Only 18% of the 456 teeth analyzed were affected by pronounced resorptions > 10%. 82% of the teeth were resorption-free. A patient-related evaluation revealed that 26 of the 40 patients had no resorptions > 20%, while 14 had between one and four affected teeth. No significant relationship between extent of resorption and parameters such as age, gender, active treatment time, Angle class, or extent and direction of apical movement was recorded.
Conclusions: The results suggest that lingual orthodontic therapy resulted in only slight root resorptions. Pronounced root shortenings were observed in some patients whose individual predisposition may constitute the main risk factor for the occurrence of root resorptions.