Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Coronectomy: a retrospective outcome study

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) injury is reported as a complication following surgical removal of lower third molars. In cases where the IAN is intimately related to the roots of the tooth, coronectomy may be performed as an alternative. The objectives of this study were to record operative indications for coronectomy and assess the short- and long-term post-operative outcomes following coronectomy.

Methods

This retrospective study included patients (19–95 years old) that had coronectomies carried out in the Edinburgh Dental Institute and Chalmers Dental Centre within the last 10 years. The patients were invited by letter to attend a review appointment. High-risk radiographic signs and short- (≤ 3 months) and long-term complications (> 3 months) were recorded.

Results

A total of 124 patients were invited to participate and a total 28 patients returned for review. From the rest of the patients, data was extracted from their dental records. IAN injury was reported in 5 cases (4.3%) as a short-term complication and in 2 cases (3.5%) as a long-term complication. One patient presented with eruption of roots at the review appointment 7 years following surgery. In this study, ‘very’ long-term complications were recorded as the 28 patients that returned for a review, were seen on an average of 4.8 years post-operation.

Conclusions

Coronectomy is a relatively safe technique for preservation of the IAN. However, prospective large scale research is needed to more accurately report on the prevalence of short- and long-term complications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Leung YY, Cheung LK (2009) Safety of coronectomy versus excision of wisdom teeth: a randomized controlled trial. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 108(6):821–827

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Lopes V, Mumenya R, Feinmann C, Harris M (1995) Third molar surgery: an audit of the indications for surgery, post-operative complaints and patient satisfaction. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 33(1):33–35

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Renton T, Hankins M, Sproate C, McGurk M (2005) A randomised controlled clinical trial to compare the incidence of injury to the inferior alveolar nerve as a result of coronectomy and removal of mandibular third molars. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 43(1):7–12

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Renton T (2013) Update on coronectomy. A safer way to remove high risk mandibular third molars. Dent Update 40(5):362–364, 366–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Ecuyer J, Debien J (1984) Surgical deductions. Actual Odontostomatol (Paris) 38(148):695–702

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Rood JP, Shehab BA (1990) The radiological prediction of inferior alveolar nerve injury during third molar surgery. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 28(1):20–25

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Blaeser BF, August MA, Donoff RB, Kaban LB, Dodson TB (2003) Panoramic radiographic risk factors for inferior alveolar nerve injury after third molar extraction. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 61(4):417–421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Nakagawa Y, Ishii H, Nomura Y, Watanabe NY, Hoshiba D, Kobayashi K, Ishibashi K (2007) Third molar position: reliability of panoramic radiography. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 65(7):1303–1308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Pogrel MA, Lee JS, Muff DF (2004) Coronectomy: a technique to protect the inferior alveolar nerve. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 62(12):1447–1452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Hatano Y, Kurita K, Kuroiwa Y, Yuasa H, Ariji E (2009) Clinical evaluations of coronectomy (intentional partial odontectomy) for mandibular third molars using dental computed tomography: a case-control study. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 67(9):1806–1814

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Jowett A, Mansoor J, Coulthard P (2016) The coronectomy technique for lower third molars: past and present. Oral Surg 9(3):150–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Matzen LH, Christensen J, Hintze H, Schou S, Wenzel A (2013) Influence of cone beam CT on treatment plan before surgical intervention of mandibular third molars and impact of radiographic factors on deciding on coronectomy vs surgical removal. Dentomaxillofac Radiol 42(1):98870341

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. European Commission (2012) Cone-beam CT for dental and maxillofacial radiology (evidence-based guidelines). Radiation Protection, p 172

  14. Long H, Zhou Y, Liao L, Pyakurel U, Wang Y, Lai W (2012) Coronectomy vs. total removal for third molar extraction: a systematic review. J Dent Res 91(7):659–665

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Monaco G, de Santis G, Gatto MR, Corinaldesi G et al (2012) Coronectomy: a surgical option for impacted third molars in close proximity to the inferior alveolar nerve. J Am Dent Assoc 143(4):363–369

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Cilasun U, Yildirim T, Guzeldemir E, Pektas ZO (2011) Coronectomy in patients with high risk of inferior alveolar nerve injury diagnosed by computed tomography. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 69(6):1557–1561

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Frenkel B, Givol N, Shoshani Y (2015) Coronectomy of the mandibular third molar: a retrospective study of 185 procedures and the decision to repeat the coronectomy in cases of failure. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 73(4):587–594

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Patel V, Sproat C, Kwok J, Beneng K, Thavaraj S, McGurk M (2014) Histological evaluation of mandibular third molar roots retrieved after coronectomy. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 52(5):415–419

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Kohara K, Kurita K, Kuroiwa Y, Goto S, Umemura E (2015) Usefulness of mandibular third molar coronectomy assessed through clinical evaluation over three years of follow-up. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg 44(2):259–266

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. O'Riordan BC (2004) Coronectomy (intentional partial odontectomy of lower third molars). Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 98(3):274–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Dolanmaz D, Yildirim G, Isik K, Kucuk K, Ozturk A (2009) A preferable technique for protecting the inferior alveolar nerve: coronectomy. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 67(6):1234–1238

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oral Surgery, Edinburgh Dental Institute, University of Edinburgh, Lauriston Place, Lauriston Building, Edinburgh, EH3 9HA, UK

    Panagiotis Pitros, Iain Jackson & Norma O’Connor

  2. Chalmers Dental Centre, 3 Chalmers Street, Edinburgh, EH3 9EW, UK

    Iain Jackson

Authors
  1. Panagiotis Pitros
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Iain Jackson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Norma O’Connor
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Panagiotis Pitros.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This study has obtained ethical approval from the NHS Research Ethics Committee of South East Scotland and the NHS Research and Development board.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in this study.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pitros, P., Jackson, I. & O’Connor, N. Coronectomy: a retrospective outcome study. Oral Maxillofac Surg 23, 453–458 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10006-019-00794-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10006-019-00794-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation