Root Amputation: Indications and Procedure

Root amputation, or root resection, is a specialized dentistry practice designed to manage multi-rooted tooth-affected dental conditions. It’s not among the most popular dental procedures. However, it’s a technique that offers an alternative way to worst-case treatment paradigms. To better understand what the procedure entails and in what cases best fits, this blog helps to outline the above details by a dental implants specialist in Redlands, CA.

Root amputation refers to the partial elimination of the portion of the tooth’s root or roots while the rest of the tooth is kept in the mouth. The technique is commonly applied to molar teeth that have numerous roots and are therefore susceptible to various forms of dental conditions.

Root Amputation: When Is It Necessary?

• Severe periodontal concern: where the infection has affected the tooth’s multiple roots, removing the affected root allows for the preservation of the rest of the tooth and the adjacent bone.
• Root fractures: When the root is irreparably damaged, removing the damaged part avoids more severe concerns and allows the tooth to stay functional.
• Infections and abscesses: When the twinges are confined to the root and can’t be cured by a root canal, root amputation is critical in the prevention of further spread of the infections.

The Root Amputation procedure

Local anesthesia will be used to numb the area surrounding the tooth, ensuring your comfort throughout the procedure. The gum tissue will be carefully lifted to expose the root or roots to be excised. The affected root will be carefully removed by the dentist using mobile special instruments and working with the bone and tissues to ensure their integrity is preserved. In some cases, a lesion will be detected while removing the root. If this happens, the dentist will remove it so that when the rest of the surgery is complete, there is only healthy tissue for healing. The gum tissue will be sutured and repositioned to promote healing.

Benefits of Root Amputation

• Preservation of the Tooth: Instead of extraction, this treatment offers the patient the advantage of preserving a badly damaged or infected tooth.
• The treatment ensures that patients will be able to use their teeth to eat and speak correctly.
• Prevention of health complications concerning infections

Root amputation is an effective dental procedure that can treat dental conditions uniquely while saving your natural tooth. If your dentist recommends root amputation, you will be guided through the procedure to attain optimal oral health and function. A lifetime root amputation is a regularly practiced procedure to maintain a healthy smile.