Influence of Asthma on the Degree of Apical Root Resorption in Orthodontically Treated Patients

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the influence of asthma on the degree of apical root resorption in patients treated orthodontically.

Sample comprised 683 patients treated orthodontically; 240 with asthma and 443 who did not present any kind of respiratory allergy or asthma. The Levander and Malmgren score was used for the evaluation of the degree of root resorption. This evaluation was performed in the initial and final periapical radiographs of the maxillary and mandibular incisors of all patients in the sample. Then, the sample was divided as follows: Group 1: 614 patients presenting mild or no root resorption with scores 0, 1 and 2, with mean initial age of 14.37 years, final age of 16.44 years and treatment time of 2.07 years; group 2: 69 patients who had moderate to severe root resorption with scores 3 and 4, with mean initial age of 15.09 years, final age of 17.81 years and treatment time of 2.72 years.

The results revealed that asthma was not a statistically significant factor for severe root resorption. The group with severe root resorption showed higher initial and final age, and longer treatment time than the group with mild root resorption. In addition, performing extractions is a risk factor for the occurrence of severe root resorption.

Asthma is not a risk factor for the occurrence of severe root resorption after orthodontic treatment.