American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) Practice Exam

Internal root resorption occurs when the internal portion of the root structure starts to break down, typically due to some form of inflammatory process or injury affecting the dental pulp.

Chronic pulpitis, which is an inflammation of the pulp due to caries or other irritants, is a known cause of internal root resorption as the inflammatory processes can lead to the activation of odontoclasts, the cells responsible for resorbing dental tissue.

Trauma to the tooth can also lead to internal root resorption, as mechanical injury may initiate an inflammatory response within the pulp tissue, triggering the resorptive process.

Autotransplantation, which involves moving a tooth from one site in the mouth to another, can lead to internal resorption due to potential damage to the pulp during the procedure, triggering reactions similar to those seen in trauma and chronic inflammation.

In contrast, dietary deficiency is less directly associated with internal root resorption. While nutritional deficiencies can lead to other dental issues, such as enamel hypoplasia or periodontal disease, they do not typically result in the kind of inflammatory processes within the pulp that are necessary for internal root resorption to occur. This makes dietary deficiency the least likely factor in contributing to internal root resorption.