Presence of root canal treatment has no influence on periodontal bone loss.

AIM

The aim of this study was to compare the interproximal bone level at root canal-filled teeth and non-root canal-filled teeth.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The records of patients from the department were consecutively screened from January 2009 to October 2011. The distance between the coronal reference point to the alveolar bone crest (AC) was assessed at the mesial and distal aspects of root canal-filled teeth (RCF+) and their contralateral non-root canal-filled teeth (RCF-) on periapical radiographs. Generalised linear mixed-effects models were applied.

RESULTS

The sample consisted of 128 pairs of teeth comprising data from 72 patients. The results for AC revealed a median distance of 3.2 mm for RCF+ and 3.4 mm for RCF- (p = 0.61). Using the maximal distance on either the distal or the mesial tooth surface, a median distance of 3.6 mm was detected for RCF+ and 3.8 mm for RCF-, respectively (p = 0.42). Even after taking several tooth- and subject-specific variables into account, the differences between AC on RCF+ and RCF- were statistically not significant (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The interproximal bone loss did not differ statistically significant between root canal-filled teeth and non-root canal-filled teeth.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Existence of appropriately done root canal fillings in periodontitis patients has no effect on the prognosis of periodontal disease.