Does the Canine Dental Follicle Cause Resorption of Permanent Incisor Roots? A Computed Tomographic Study of Erupting Maxillary Canines

Abstract We performed computed tomography (CT) on 107 children and adolescents aged 9–15 years with 176 unerupted maxillary canines (152 erupting ectopically and 24 erupting normally) to determine whether there is an association between widened dental follicles of the maxillary canines and resorption of the adjacent incisors during eruption. Contiguous axial (transverse) CT scans were obtained through the maxilla in the region of the canines. The width and shape of the dental follicles were recorded, as were any contacts between the follicles and the crowns of the maxillary canines and neighboring incisors. Fifty-eight lateral incisors (38%) and 14 central incisors (9%) had some type of root resorption. The position of the maxillary canine in relation to the root of the lateral incisor varied greatly, as did the width and shape of the canine dental follicle. Follicle width ranged from 0.5 mm to 7.0 mm. The mean ± SD width of dental follicles was, on average, larger for the ectopically positioned canines (...