Resonance frequency analysis: a new diagnostic tool for dental ankylosis

Ankylosed teeth are considered in orthodontic treatment planning; however, diagnostic tools to quantify the rigidity of the tooth-to-bone connection are rare. Resonance frequency analysis (RFA) can quantify the rigidity of the dental implant-to-bone connection and thus may serve as a potential diagnostic tool to identify ankylosed teeth. To test this assumption, we examined 15 and 30 primary mandibular molars, with and without clinical signs of ankylosis, using the Osstell Mentor system. A cut-off implant stability quotient (ISQ) of 43 provided a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 53.3% when measured in the mesio-distal direction or a sensitivity of 20% when measured in the bucco-lingual direction. Based on a receiver-operating characteristic (ROC), the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.807 showed the mesio-distal direction of measurement to be a test of moderate discriminatory power. Given its non-invasiveness, RFA may serve as a quantitative diagnostic supplement to the clinical examination of potentially ankylosed primary molars.