By Liv Tyree
The top-notch dental practice in Powell, TN, enables specialists to offer a wide range of periodontal procedures. These treatments help improve or maintain the integrity of the soft tissues surrounding the teeth, known as gums. Sometimes you may experience intense tooth pain even after a successful root canal treatment. This is because of the lingering infection spread to the roots making it more vulnerable. Despite opting for extractions and losing the tooth, periodontists can help retain the tooth through advanced procedures like root amputations.
Read on to learn everything about root amputations, their procedure, and their benefits.
| Root amputation is a dental procedure that aids in preserving a tooth from extraction when only one root in a multi-rooted tooth is affected. The healthy roots are retained to offer support, nourishment, and steadiness to the tooth within its socket, preventing it from loosening or becoming mobile. |
Potential benefits of root amputation
Root amputation procedure offers the following benefits:
- It is minimally invasive and less traumatic when performed by a skilled and trained dentist
- No hospitalization is required
- It is a quick, and simple procedure
- It is affordable
- It helps preserve your tooth by avoiding extraction
- There are minimal complications involved
- Healing and recovery are quick
- It aids in good oral rehabilitation, boosting your oral health and function
The complete preparation, procedure, and after-care involved in root amputation
Here is a detailed step-by-step guide to root amputation:
Preparation
- Your dentist will evaluate the affected tooth through dental X-rays.
- A root canal treatment will be performed before root amputations to remove the inflamed pulp tissues.
Procedure
- The area to be treated will be numbed by your dentist using local anesthesia.
- Your dentist will make a small incision in the gums to expose the roots.
- The gum flap will be raised and the affected portion will be sectioned and separated from the healthy portion of the tooth.
- The area will be irrigated with a saline solution to remove the harmful bacteria and debris.
- The gum flaps will be repositioned to their normal position, and the surgical site will be sutured.
After-care
- You will be given all the aftercare instructions by your dentist.
- Pain medications and antibiotics will be prescribed to manage pain and infection.
- The sutures will be removed after a week, and a permanent crown will be provided after 2 weeks once healing is complete.
Closure
Root amputation is an excellent procedure to avoid tooth extractions where the infection is limited to the root region, keeping the remaining roots and tooth intact and healthy. Discuss your goals and expectations with your dentist to be well-informed about root amputations, its necessity, and its benefits.
