Coronectomy is the removal of the crown of a tooth, leaving the roots in situ.
When applied to a lower wisdom tooth or any lower un- erupted posterior tooth, it is a measure adopted to avoid damage to the Inferior Alveolar Nerve (IAN) (the nerve that supplies feeling / sensation to the lip and chin) when the X- ray has suggested an intimate relationship between the roots of the lower wisdom tooth and the IAN and the tooth still needed to be removed.
The expectation after removing the top of the tooth is that the roots will remain in place and eventually cover with bone.
Roots encased in bone can remain buried in the jaw for years and rarely cause problems.
Coronectomy of lower molars is NOT carried out in the following situations:
Wisdom tooth roots are not touching the IAN canal
Wisdom tooth with either active root tip or crown infection
Pre-existing numbness of the IAN
Pre-existing mobility of the tooth as any retained roots may act as a mobile foreign body and become a nidus for infection / migration.
Teeth that are horizontally impacted along the course of the IAN as sectioning the tooth crown could endanger the IAN.
Systemic condition predisposing to local infection such as diabetes, AIDS and concurrent chemotherapy.
Local factors predisposing to infection such as metabolic bone diseases (e.g. fibrous dysplasia), history of radiotherapy to the lower jaw.
This list of warnings might seem excessive to some however the legal ruling in the case of Chester vs Afshar (2004) would suggest that it is quite prudent / necessary to list them. Others might say that there isn't enough information but where do you stop?
The following list of warnings regarding coronectomy is neither exhaustive nor is it predictive. You are to have a tooth decoronated.
You can expect the following:
Last Updated 5th December 2014
Coronectomy / Intentional Partial Odontectomy Specific Warnings:
Antibiotics (pre- & post-op). These are recommended to lower the chance of infection either in the socket or the tooth pulp. These will be given at the clinicians’ discretion.
Primary Closure. The retained roots are covered over by the gum to facilitate healing of the pulp, socket and to lessen the chance of operation site infection.
Osteo-cementum Growth. The root margins are trimmed several millimetres below the crest of the socket to encourage bone & osteo-cementum formation over the retained roots, sealing off the roots from the mouth.
Roots inadvertently removed at the time of attempted coronectomy. When it came to removing the crown, it was found that the roots as well were mobile. This ranges from 3 - 9%. If the roots are mobile, we are obliged to remove them and there is obviously the risk to the IAN (which this procedure was trying to avoid).
Numbness of Chin, Lip ± Tongue. The Inferior Alveolar & Lingual Nerves may still be damaged during the procedure resulting in numbness affecting the tongue +/- the chin and lower lip. The numbness of the tongue seems to be quite short-lived and has a low incidence. The numbness of the chin ± lip tended to occur when on attempting the coronectomy, the roots were found to be mobile and had to be removed.
Root Migration. Subsequent migration of the roots away from the IAN occurred in 14 - 81% of cases.
Later Removal of Roots. This can happen in up to a 2 - 6% of cases. If the roots irritate overlying tissues or the adjacent tooth or otherwise become symptomatic, they may need to be removed. Even though a 2nd surgery would be needed, the possibility of nerve damage should be negligible since the roots would have migrated away from its original resting place next to the IAN. Since the purpose of the coronectomy is to avoid this damage, this goal would have been accomplished even though a 2nd surgical procedure was necessary to remove the remaining root.
General Surgical Warnings:
Pain. As it is a surgical procedure, there will be soreness after the tooth removal. This can last for several days. Painkillers such as ibuprofen, paracetamol, Solpadeine or Nurofen Plus are very effective. Obviously, the painkiller you use is dependent on your medical history & the ease of the operation.
Swelling. There will be swelling afterwards. This can last up to a week. Use of an icepack or a bag of frozen peas pressed against the cheek adjacent to the tooth removed will help to decrease the swelling. Avoidance in the first few hours post-op, of alcohol, exercise or hot foods / drinks will decrease the degree of swelling that will develop.
Bruising & Bleeding into Cheeks. Some people are prone to bruise. Older people, people on aspirin or steroids will also bruise that much more easily. The bruising can look quite florid; this will eventually resolve but can take several weeks (in the worst cases).
Swelling that does not resolve within a few days may be due to bleeding into the cheek. The cheek swelling will feel quite firm. Coupled with this, there may be limitation to mouth opening and bruising. Both the swelling, bruising and mouth opening will resolve with time.
Stitches. The coronectomy site will often be closed with stitches. These dissolve and will ‘fall out’ within 10 – 14 days.
Limited Mouth Opening. Often the chewing muscles and the jaw joints are sore after the procedure so that mouth opening can be limited for the next few days. If you are unlucky enough to develop an infection afterwards in the socket, this can make the limited mouth opening worse and last for longer (up to a week or so).
Post-op Infection. You may develop an infection in the socket after the operation. This tends to occur 2 – 4 days later and is characterised by a deep-seated throbbing pain, bad breath and an unpleasant taste in the mouth. This infection is more likely to occur if you are a smoker, are on the contraceptive pill, on drugs such as steroids and if bone has to be removed to facilitate tooth extraction.
If antibiotics are given, they are likely to react with alcohol and / or the Contraceptive Pill (that is, the ‘Pill’ will not be providing protection).
Surrounding Teeth. The surrounding teeth may be sore after the extraction; they may even be slightly wobbly but the teeth should settle down with time. It is possible that the fillings or crowns of the surrounding teeth may come out, fracture or become loose. If this is the case, you will need to go back to your dentist to have these sorted out. Every effort will be made to make sure this doesn’t happen. In very rare instances, the surrounding teeth may actually come out as well as the intended tooth.
Failure of Anaesthesia. In rare cases, the tooth can be difficult to ‘numb up’. This can be due to a number of reasons. The more common ones include inflammation ± infection associated with the tooth, anatomical differences & apprehension. If the tooth fails to ‘numb up’ then its removal will be rescheduled with antibiotic cover or perhaps done under sedation or even a GA.