[Tooth Resection/Hemisection] My Precious Molar with a Broken Root... It Feels Too Wasteful to Pull It Out as It Is.

Hello.

This is Dental Guardian Hee from Sinchon^^

I am Dr. Jeon Jun-hee, a specialist in Conservative Dentistry.

While doing the Conservative Dentistry care that is my specialty to my heart’s content,

it was my dream to live like this,

but patients now come from all over the country, and even from overseas,

to receive Conservative Dentistry care,

and I always practice with gratitude.

During my training in Conservative Dentistry,

there are cases that must be completed as graduation requirements,

and one of them is tooth resection.

Tooth resection (hemisection)

literally means

cutting away part of a tooth.

In some cases, only 1/4 is removed,

and in others, 1/2 is removed.

Rather than front teeth,

this is a procedure that can be performed on molars, which have multiple roots and a relatively large crown.

I also once had a molar root that was in bad shape and was told to have it extracted.. Wouldn't it just be okay to cut out only the problematic root?!?ㅠㅠ

You may think that way.

However, tooth resection has several very important prerequisites.

First.

The other roots besides the problematic one must be long and strong,

Second.

The gum bone and gums around the tooth must be healthy,

Third.

A substantial amount of intact natural tooth structure must remain in the crown of the tooth.

Only when all three of these conditions are met

can tooth resection be performed.

If even one of them is not met,

rather than regretting it,

it is better to have the tooth extracted.

20250430

This is a patient in his 60s who came from Spain.

These days, people in their 60s are just as energetic as younger generations.

Their emotional and physical health levels are

very different from the past.

Accordingly, their determination to preserve their natural teeth is

just as strong as that of people in their 20s and 30s.

When I saw that one root of the molar had been shattered,

I first recommended extraction.

However, motivated by the patient’s strong will to preserve the natural tooth,

and also by my desire to make use of the field I specialized in,

I attempted tooth resection.

20250620

The problematic root portion

was cleanly removed.

Fortunately, the remaining root was long

and the surrounding gum bone was healthy,

so I judged that it would support the remaining tooth well.

20250627

Leaving one root behind,

the crown portion was neatly finished.

20250627

Finally, like this,

the treatment is completed by placing a sturdy crown.

The area below where there is no root

is adjusted so that chewing force is transferred more weakly.

If it receives excessive force,

the newly made crown or

the remaining root could be damaged.

Because of this mechanical disadvantage,

it may not last as long compared with a crown placed on an intact natural tooth

or an implant.

However, for those who cannot have an extraction right away for health reasons (osteoporosis, tendency to bleed, cancer treatment, etc.),

or for those who want to give the natural tooth one last chance,

this is a sufficiently recommended procedure.

Tooth resection is a procedure in which

having the eye to select cases that can be performed is important.

I recommend making the decision through consultation with a specialist in Conservative Dentistry.

That concludes this long post.

#Specialist in Conservative Dentistry

#DrJeonJunheeDentalGuardianHee

#ToothResection

#hemisection