Hearing the phrase root resorption at a dental appointment can feel overwhelming. It sounds technical and a bit intimidating, which is why most people immediately want to dig into the root resorption causes and find out exactly what causes root resorption. 
At Westborough Dentistree, we make patient education a central part of our care. We know that when you understand why a condition is happening, you feel much more in control of your dental health.
Defining Root Resorption
In the simplest terms, root resorption is a biological process where the body starts to dissolve its own tooth structure. Think of it like the body’s natural recycling system getting confused. Instead of maintaining the root, certain cells start to break it down and absorb it back into the jaw.
It is important to realize that this can occur in a wide range of patients. It might affect a single tooth that had an old injury, or it might show up across several teeth. One of the reasons it is so often discussed during routine exams is that it almost never causes pain in the early stages.
Most patients have no idea it is happening until it shows up on a digital X-ray.
The Biological “Spark”
Under normal circumstances, your tooth roots are shielded from the body’s bone-remodeling cells. However, if that shield is compromised, the body’s cells—specifically ones called odontoclasts—begin to target the root.
Once this biological process starts, it can behave in different ways. Sometimes it moves quickly, but more often, it progresses slowly or becomes inactive over time. This is why we focus so much on identifying the specific root resorption causes for each patient.
Exploring Root Resorption Causes
When patients sit in the chair and ask what causes root resorption, we explain that it is rarely tied to a single event and is usually influenced by multiple factors. It is usually a combination of how your unique biology responds to physical or chemical stress.
The most common factors include:
Physical Trauma:
A fall, a sports injury, or a hard knock to the face—even if it happened ten years ago—can trigger resorption later in life.
Chronic Inflammation:
If there is a long-standing infection in the gums or the pulp of the tooth, the resulting inflammation can signal the body to start the resorption process.
Mechanical Pressure:
This is often seen when a wisdom tooth is impacted and is pushing hard against the root of the molar next to it.
Orthodontic Forces:
Moving teeth involves remodeling bone. In some people, the roots are more sensitive to this pressure, which is why we monitor root length during braces.
Systemic Issues:
Sometimes, a person’s genetics or underlying health conditions make their cells more likely to misidentify tooth structure as something that needs to be absorbed.
Understanding what causes root resorption in each individual case helps us create a monitoring plan that fits a patient’s dental history.
Internal vs. External Patterns
We categorize the condition based on where the cells start their work. Internal resorption starts inside the tooth, often because the pulp was damaged by heat or infection. It’s often called “pink tooth” because, in advanced cases, the pink pulp shows through the thinning enamel.
External resorption is more common. It starts on the outside surface of the root. This is the type often associated with trauma or orthodontic movement.
Both types can often be managed with proper monitoring, but they require different strategies to support tooth stability.
The Role of Imaging and Diagnosis
Because you can’t see or feel resorption, technology is our best friend. At Westborough Dentistree, we use high-resolution digital imaging to keep a baseline of your root health.
If we see a change, we don’t always rush to treat it. Instead, we might take another image in six months to see if the process is active or if it has “gone quiet.”
If the resorption is active and threatening the tooth, we might suggest a root canal to stop internal cases or a change in orthodontic pressure for external ones.
However, many teeth with mild resorption remain functional and stable for many years with appropriate monitoring.
Moving Forward with Confidence
The takeaway is that resorption is often a manageable condition and not typically a dental emergency when identified early. By staying on top of your routine exams and understanding the root resorption causes specific to your dental history, you can keep your smile intact.
If we do find it, we will explain what causes root resorption in your mouth based on your dental history and clinical findings.