A Preferable Technique for Protecting the Inferior Alveolar Nerve: Coronectomy

Dolanmaz, Dogan; Yildirim, Gulsun; Isik, Kubilay; Kucuk, Korhan; Ozturk, Adnan

doi:10.1016/j.joms.2008.12.031

« Previous Next »Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Volume 67, Issue 6 , Pages 1234-1238, June 2009

A Preferable Technique for Protecting the Inferior Alveolar Nerve: Coronectomy

Dogan Dolanmaz, DDS, PhD
- Associate Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
Gulsun Yildirim, DDS, PhD
- Assistant Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr Yildirim: Diş Hekimliği Fakültesi Cerrahi AD, Selçuk Universitesi, 42080 Kampüs Selçuklu, Konya, Turkey
Kubilay Isik, DDS, PhD
- Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey
Korhan Kucuk, DDS, PhD
- Resident, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
Adnan Ozturk, DDS, PhD
- Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of coronectomy for teeth whose root apices are very close to the inferior alveolar canal.

Patients and Methods

The 43 patients of this study needed removal of their lower third molar, whose root apices were very close to the inferior alveolar canal. These patients underwent 47 coronectomies.

Results

The mean follow-up period was 9.3 months (range, 1 to 48 months). The mean total amount of root movement was 3.4 mm at 6 months, 3.8 mm at 12 months, and 4.0 mm at 24 months.

Conclusions

The technique of coronectomy is defined as removing the crown of a tooth but leaving the roots untouched, so that the possibility of nerve damage is reduced. Coronectomy is a preferable technique for patients who run a risk of injury to the inferior alveolar nerve during third molar surgery.