Canine-Induced Resorption — ORE Part 1 MCQ

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ModerateOrthodonticsCanine-Induced ResorptionORE Part 1

A panoramic radiograph of a 12-year-old shows a palatally ectopic upper left permanent canine. Its crown is projected over the root of the upper left lateral incisor. Which complication is most likely to affect the lateral incisor?

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Correct answer: E — External root resorption

The correct answer is E. A palatally ectopic maxillary canine lying against, or projected over, the lateral incisor root carries a clinically important risk of external root resorption of that incisor. UK Faculty of Dental Surgery guidance identifies root resorption of adjacent teeth, usually incisors, as the main risk of ectopic canines. Replacement ankylosis is not the usual consequence for the adjacent incisor. Enamel hypoplasia is a developmental enamel defect and cannot be caused by the eruption path of a permanent canine. Pulp canal obliteration is more typically associated with trauma, and internal root resorption originates within the pulp space rather than from contact with an ectopic canine.

Reference: Royal College of Surgeons of England Faculty of Dental Surgery. Management of the Palatally Ectopic Maxillary Canine, section: “Sequelae of ectopic canines”, 2022. https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/-/media/Files/RCS/FDS/Guidelines/Management-of-the-Palatally-Ectopic-Maxillary-Canine--revised-with-edits-25-Jan-2023.pdf