2 Potential Treatments For Dental Concrescence
Posted on: 9 June 2016
Dental concrescence occurs when the roots of two neighboring teeth fuse together during development. Concrescence is different from fusion, in which the entire teeth fuse together, but can still pose problems for the affected teeth. The problems mainly arise when one tooth becomes damaged or infected and then poses a risk to the adjoined tooth.
There are a couple of potential general or family dentistry treatments for dental concrescence that can help save both or at least one of the teeth in case of severe trauma or infection.
Apexification for Infection
Teeth often become infected when bacteria enter the tooth from the surrounding soft tissue and up through the roots and root canal. A root canal procedure, which involves cleaning out all the infected material then sealing the tooth shut, can cure the infected tooth. But recurrent infections can indicate that the infectious material is stuck in the harder to reach apexes, or root ends. In connected teeth, the apex infection can put both teeth at risk of infection even if only one tooth has shown symptoms thus far.
The apex infection can be cleared up using a procedure called apexification. The dentist will cut into the soft tissue to gain access to the tooth root apexes. The dentist will then snip off the apexes on each root then seal the roots closed with a dissolving biocement. The biocement will keep the roots shut until the infection is fully treated elsewhere in the mouth. The biocement will later be absorbed harmlessly into the body and the roots will reopen for the transmission of important blood and nerve cells.
Root Hemisection for Extraction
Root hemisection is a procedure more commonly used in fused teeth when the dentist needs to cut the teeth and roots apart to remove one of the teeth. But the procedure can also be used in the case of concrescence when one of the teeth is damaged to the point of requiring extraction.
The dentist will need to cut apart the roots that are connected but can leave any roots on the other side that aren't attached to the bad tooth. If all of the roots are attached or the "good" tooth only has one root, a hemisection won't be possible and your dentist might need to simply remove both teeth.
A successful root hemisection will leave behind one healthy tooth with at least one root. The extraction site from the removed tooth will need to be filled with a dental replacement such as a bridge or dental implant to prevent the remaining tooth from shifting out of position and creating further bite issues.
For more information, contact a company like Mooresville Dental Care.
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