Classifications play an important role for the
clinician in the process of diagnosis and treatment
planning. Andreasen has over the past 40 years made
an unique contribution to the understanding of tooth
resorption following dental trauma and his original
classification which follows (Fig 1) remains the most
widely accepted.
However, Andreasen’s original
classification does not include other resorptive
processes which have been identified over the past two
decades. Of these, a third type of internal resorption,
transient apical internal surface resorption, should also
be added, along with other types of hyperplastic tooth
resorption.
These hyperplastic resorptions – labelled
invasive coronal, invasive cervical or invasive radicular
resorption – do not fall into any of the original
categories but may follow dental trauma and other
potential predisposing factors.
An alternative classification of tooth resorption
recently proposed by Lindskog
will be adopted for this paper. This classification subdivides resorptions
into three broad groups: (1) trauma induced tooth
resorption; (2) infection induced tooth resorption; and
(3) hyperplastic invasive tooth resorptions.
There are some rare tooth resorptions of unknown
cause that do not fit into any of the above categories
and they are usually labelled “idiopathic”. The
advantage of this classification is that it makes a simple
and clear distinction between each category and as such
provides important clues to the clinical management.
For example, infection induced tooth resorption as
with any infective process requires elimination of
invading micro-organisms as an integral component of
clinical management.
clinician in the process of diagnosis and treatment
planning. Andreasen has over the past 40 years made
an unique contribution to the understanding of tooth
resorption following dental trauma and his original
classification which follows (Fig 1) remains the most
widely accepted.
However, Andreasen’s original
classification does not include other resorptive
processes which have been identified over the past two
decades. Of these, a third type of internal resorption,
transient apical internal surface resorption, should also
be added, along with other types of hyperplastic tooth
resorption.
These hyperplastic resorptions – labelled
invasive coronal, invasive cervical or invasive radicular
resorption – do not fall into any of the original
categories but may follow dental trauma and other
potential predisposing factors.
An alternative classification of tooth resorption
recently proposed by Lindskog
will be adopted for this paper. This classification subdivides resorptions
into three broad groups: (1) trauma induced tooth
resorption; (2) infection induced tooth resorption; and
(3) hyperplastic invasive tooth resorptions.
There are some rare tooth resorptions of unknown
cause that do not fit into any of the above categories
and they are usually labelled “idiopathic”. The
advantage of this classification is that it makes a simple
and clear distinction between each category and as such
provides important clues to the clinical management.
For example, infection induced tooth resorption as
with any infective process requires elimination of
invading micro-organisms as an integral component of
clinical management.