Global prevalence of pre eruptive intracoronal resorption (PEIR) of teeth: a systematic review of literature.

Aim: Pre-eruptive intracoronal resorption (PIER) defects constitute an important part of anomalies associated with unerupted teeth. However, these defects are usually overlooked by clinicians whilst interpreting radiographs. This systematic review was thus orchestrated to find the global prevalence of PEIR.

Methodology: A comprehensive database search was done until December 2022 for published articles on the prevalence of pre-eruptive intracoronal resorption following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. The review was registered in Prospero (CRD42024501668). The risk of bias was analysed for each study using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for cross-sectional studies.

Results: In total 18 studies were included in the present systematic review. The subject prevalence was 3.54% (range 0.56-27.31%) and tooth prevalence of 0.695% (Range 0.073-2.12%). Males and females were equally affected with no difference based on geography and race. Mandibular teeth showed more incidence of PEIR than maxillary teeth. First premolars were most frequently affected in the mandibular arch, whilst canines were affected most in the maxillary arch.

Conclusion: Within the limits of the review, we presented for the first time the global prevalence of PEIR. The condition may be overlooked and could lead to potential complications, thus it is essential to promptly diagnose these defects, thus preventing any further complications. We further suggest that all extirpated soft tissue should be submitted for further evaluation to shed light on the pathogenetic mechanisms involved in the initiation and progression of the disease.