Retained roots

What are retained roots?

Sometimes dentists will find themselves unable to remove teeth due to the crown becoming brittle from caries and/or loss of vitality. This means that extractions can sometimes fail in the hands of a general dentist, leaving fragments of the tooth (the root) behind. These can cause infections if left untreated, which on rare occasions can spread to fascial spaces in the head and neck region, in extreme situations causing airway compromise.

How are these removed?

Much like impacted teeth, removing retained roots involves “uncovering” the root fragment by lifting a “flap” of the surrounding gum tissue to expose the root and visualise it. This enables me to gently elevate any retained root fragments and clean the area. Sometimes this will also require removal of some surrounding bone with a surgical handpiece. This can be done under local anaesthesia (awake) or general anaesthesia (asleep), but the important thing is that the experience is kept pain free, comfortable and calm throughout. I will ensure that you are reassured and feel in control of the treatment from start to finish, being able to take regular breaks as and when you require them.