Survival Of Furcation-Involved Molars After Resective Treatment

Aims: To enhance the prognosis of teeth with advanced furcation involvement, resective treatment options like root resection or hemisection can be indicated. The goal of this study was to describe the clinical outcome of furcation invovled teeth that underwent resective therapy. Methods: In 11 patients, 15 teeth (1 upper premolar, 12 upper molars and 2 lower molars)with advanced furcation involvement (grade II and III) were treated with resective techniques (1 trisection, 2 hemisections and 12 root resections) and consequently restored with fillings (2), single crowns (7) or double crowns (6). All patients agreed to participate in a regular recall system. Results: During the follow-up period (minimum: 20 months, maximum: 132 months), 2 out of 15 resected teeth (13.3 %) had to be extracted because of fractures of the remaining roots. The remaining 13 teeth showed a stable clinical outcome without signs of gingival or periodontal inflammation. Conclusion: If furcation involvement has advanced to grade II or III, resective treatment options should be considered as possible therapeutic strategies. Regular periodontal maintenance and a sufficient coronal restoration of the root resected teeth are important preconditions for long-term survival. Keywords: resective treatment, long-term survival