Association between impacted third molars and external root resorption on adjacent second molars based on cone-beam computed tomography: a systematic review and meta-analysis

External root resorption (ERR) on second molars (M2s) is an undesirable type of pathological damage associated with adjacent impacted third molars (iM3s). Owing to its limited detectability on conventional radiographs, ERR may remain undiagnosed until irreversible damage has occurred. This systematic review aimed to quantitatively evaluate the association between iM3s and ERR on M2s via cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). Six databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane Li