Clinical and dental computed tomographic evaluation 1 year after coronectomy.
OBJECTIVE
Coronectomy is performed when contact between the mandibular third molar apex and the inferior alveolar nerve is suspected. The efficacy of coronectomy compared with conventional tooth extraction has been recognized in recent years. However, few studies have reported the postoperative prognosis of roots remaining in the bone or surrounding tissue. Therefore, a clinical evaluation was performed with dental computed tomographic imaging of the coronectomy sites 1 year after the procedure.


METHODS
This study investigated 101 patients (116 teeth) who underwent a coronectomy from March 2006 through December 2009. They were recalled 1 year later for a clinical evaluation and dental computed tomographic imaging of the coronectomy sites. The clinical evaluation was based on palpation and macroscopic findings.


RESULTS
In 99.2% (115 teeth) of the studied cases, the soft tissue distal to the mandibular second molar was healthy and the retained roots were covered by bone. In 1 case (0.8%), an eruption of roots into the oral cavity was observed; however, no inflammation was observed in the nearby soft tissue. In all 116 teeth, no transmission images indicative of periapical lesions, which usually result from necrosis of the pulp, were observed in the apical area of the retained roots.


CONCLUSIONS
The absence of transmission images indicative of periapical lesions and the presence of bone covering more than 99.2% (115 teeth) of the retained roots showed a safe postoperative course at the 1-year follow-up after coronectomy.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Aichi Gakuin University School of Dentistry, Nagoya, Japan. coronectomy230@hotmail.co.jp
Shingo
S
Goto
Kenichi
K
Kurita
Yuichiro
Y
Kuroiwa
Yuko
Y
Hatano
Keitaro
K
Kohara
Masahiro
M
Izumi
Eiichiro
E
Ariji
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005881:Gingiva / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000294:innervation; D008340:Mandibular Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D010173:Palpation; D011379:Prognosis; D012737:Sex Factors; D013529:Surgical Wound Dehiscence / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D019227:Tooth Apex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019228:Tooth Crown / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D014085:Tooth Migration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult