Cervical resorption - Differential diagnosis

Root surface caries and internal inflammatory root resorption (top right) are the two most important diseases in the differential diagnosis of cervical resorption (top middle). Clinically, an important difference between root surface caries and cervical resorption is that cervical resorption begins apical to the junctional epithelium and is therefore difficult to locate by probing, unlike caries. Internal inflammatory root resorption starts in the root canal and is seen as a widening of the canal. Cervical resorption, when superimposed over the canal, can be seen as a separate process not affecting the original canal outline on the radiograph.

External inflammatory root resorption (top left) occurs soon after trauma and affects a greater area than cervical resorption.

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