A Retrospective Study of the Prevalence and Characteristics of Root Dilaceration in a Sample of the Turkish Population

Abstract

Objectives: We aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of root dilaceration by tooth type and to investigate the relationship between trauma history and teeth with dilaceration in a large population of adult dental patients in Turkey. Methods: Periapical radiographs of 9,406 permanent teeth from 5,504 patients were examined. Teeth were recognized as having mesial or distal root dilaceration if there was deviation of 90 or more from the normal long axis of the tooth. The patients' biographic data, dilacerated and non-dilacerated teeth, and accidental trauma history were recorded. The Pearson Chi-square test was used to evaluate differences by sex and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine whether significant differences existed in the occurrence of dilaceration by age and side. Results: In the 5,504 subjects (2,877 males and 2,627 females), 9,406 teeth (5,029 in males and 4,377 in females) were examined. The Mann-Whitney U test revealed no significant differences in root dilacerations by age (P = 0.6) The teeth most frequently observed with root dilaceration were mandibular third molars (10.7 %), followed by maxillary first molars (5.8 %), mandibular second molars (5.2 %), maxillary third molars (5.0 %), maxillary second molars (4.9 %), and mandibular third molars (4.9 %). Overall, there were 161 right and 156 left root dilacerations. In all patients, the root dilacerations were unilateral. Trauma occurred in 1 % (n = 59) of the population, and all cases were in the maxillary arch. Trauma involved 0.6 % of all teeth examined, and was most common in maxillary third molars (2.6 %), followed by maxillary first molars (1.9 %), maxillary second molars (1.3 %), and maxillary lateral incisors (1.3 %) (P > 0.05). In 252 of 317 dilacerated teeth (79 %), the dilaceration was observed in the apical third region. Conclusions: Clinicians should consider the possibility of root dilaceration in teeth with trauma history. When other treatment (such as extraction, orthodontics) is required, identification of a dilaceration is important to ensure appropriate management. Periapical radiographs are the most appropriate way to diagnose the presence of root dilacerations. © 2012 Japanese Society for Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology and Springer.